


Decisions and Heartbreak

by GreyGal83



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Avengers - Freeform, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Like The Whole Cinematic Universe, Mystery Mother, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Thor (Marvel), Protective Tony Stark, Reveled later on..., Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Feels, Tony stark is your dad, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, Will pick up speed as the story goes on, You're An Avenger-- eventually, mcu - Freeform, secret powers, slow burn at first, you're a genius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:00:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 48,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24714982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyGal83/pseuds/GreyGal83
Summary: Learning who you are and what you want in life is never easy; especially with Tony Stark as your father. The mystery of where you come from and the journey to become who you were always meant to be.This will take place at the Beginning of the MCU starting with "Iron Man" and conclude with the events of "Endgame". Will start off pretty slow, but will pick up speed once we get to the "Avengers" and Angst will ensue. So buckle up, cause we're about to go on quite the ride.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Reader/Everyone, Tony Stark/Reader
Comments: 27
Kudos: 113





	1. I Am Iron Man

You can't feel anything. You must have misheard your uncle. There was no way that your father is missing, potentially dead! Who knows what kind of organization had him. The attack on the Air Force convoy that was transporting your dad was completely destroyed; all military members, that were there, killed mercilessly. 

"Y/N?" Rhodey questioned, placing his hand on top of yours that were resting on your legs, worry filling his chocolate eyes. "Please don't panic, we're doing everything to find him. Locating Tony is our top priority." He sits a little taller, determination filling his voice, "I will bring him back to you, I promise!"

You glance up at him. "I know you will; I wouldn't trust anyone else with the task". You give him a weak smile, trying to put on a brave face. Turning your head, you look at the doors that Pepper just rushed through, excusing herself after hearing the shattering news. You should really go check on her to see how she was handling the situation, knowing that your father meant a hell of a lot more to her than just a boss. Rhodey reassures you of what the Air Force is currently doing and promises to give you any updates they may have as soon as possible. He explains that he should head back and see if there's any new information.

Looking back before he exits the room, "Let me know if you need anything, even if it's just to talk. I know this must be hard to process..". He pauses, not sure if he should continue, "You're handling everything else okay, right? I know strong emotions and stress make it difficult for you to remain.. in control". You give him a smile that you pray is convincing and tell him that you have better control over yourself now since you've taken up meditating. He seems to buy your reassurances and leaves a few minutes later, his shoulders sagging with the exhaustion he must surely feel.

You leave to head to your room in your father's lushes Malibu house. How you much prefer your shared penthouse in Manhattan, feels more like home on the East Coast. You take a deep breath, holding it in, as you feel yourself losing control. You feel the tingle run down your spine to the rest of your limbs; on your exhale you feel the surge of power leave your body and everything within a ten foot radius goes flying in the opposite direction of your person. "Damn it", you sigh. You've gone so long without an incident. 

* * *

With Obadiah saying not to worry about anything and that he'll take care of the company during this difficult time; you've been keeping busy with your studies. You headed back to Manhattan with Pepper and Happy, as your support system, in tow. Your professors said that you can take the semester off without question, but you politely declined. You were in the last semester before achieving your Master's in Biochemistry that it was an easy way to keep your mind off of the situation with your father and the continuous slip-ups you've been having since that horrible day three months ago. 

Pepper walks in with a tray of food, setting it down on your desk as you were finishing up a paper on the various mutations within the human genome. " You need to eat something", she commands her voice taking on the familiar maternal tone that she's had for you ever since she started working for your father so many years ago. 

"Pep, I'm eighteen, I can make my own food". She gives you that look that she often uses to tell you she's serious. "Okay, okay, you win", submitting you take a bite of the sandwich she prepared for you. At that exact moment your phone begins to vibrate. "It's Rhodey. Probably just another update that their newest lead hasn't gone anywhere", you sigh as you see the Caller ID on your phone. You answer, expecting to hear the same forced upbeat tone that's hiding the disappointment that you've grown so accustomed to over the past few months. 

"Y/N, we found him! On route to California. He's sleeping right now, passed out once we got him on the chopper. He's a little dinged up, but otherwise unharmed". You don't say anything, replaying what your uncle just told you, praying that you aren't dreaming. "Y/N? did you hear me? Your father is coming home". You look at Pepper a huge grin slowly taking over your features. 

"We're heading back now!". You say goodbye to Rhodey and look at Pepper's curious expression. "They found him Pep, we need to go", you say getting up and rushing into her arms, joyous tears escaping your eyes as you feel her begin to sob. You know she's feeling the same overpowering emotion as you, relief. 

"Let's go! The plane will be ready by the time we get there".

* * *

"Can't breathe", your father wheezes out. You huff out a laugh mixed with a sob as he wipes the tears that managed to escape from your eyes. You apologize, the huge grin still on your face since you heard the news so many hours ago. 

"Don't be. I missed you firecracker", you roll your eyes at the pet name your father's had for you since your abilities surfaced. "You've been doin' okay? Any incidents?" You look at your father, ashamed. 

"Only minor ones. I've been keeping it contained to a few feet; still learning to control the impulses. I'm sorry", you explain, lowering your head in shame.

Tony lifts your chin, "Don't be firecracker. I can only imagine what you've been going through..". He then looks over at Pepper, "Your eyes are red. Few tears for your long, lost boss?" he quips. 

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting", she replies with a smile. You roll your eyes at the encounter, you wish the two of them would just come out about their feelings for each other already. I mean its so obvious. 

"Well vacations over. Lets go".

* * *

"Well that was an interesting press conference", you joke lamely once you got back to the Malibu house. "Are you really gonna shut down the weapons manufacturing of Stark Industries?", you then question seriously. 

"Yeah, I've seen the consequences of it first hand". 

"What happened over there dad?" You begin to look worried. 

"Enough", sighing as he gets out of the car and walks into his work room, you following on his heel. "I want to talk to you about something", he says looking serious as he takes a seat at his desk. You give him your full attention, signaling him to continue. "I want you to stop pretending that you don't have these abilities. I want you to work on controlling them, learn how to use them to your advantage".

A million thoughts run through your head, but you can only say one word, "What?"

"I want you to stop pretending that these powers you have aren't a part of you. I love you so much and I'm proud of who you are firecracker. I want you to be proud of who you are too", he explains.

"Dad, you just held a press conference explaining that the weapons that our company manufactures are too dangerous and that they cause more harm than good. I totally get where you're coming from with this decision, but I just don't understand what you're telling me now. **_I'm_** more dangerous than any weapon the company has ever manufactured and you're telling me that you now want me to use these abilities?" you question.

"Look Y/N", your father sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as he looks down, "Our weapons, the missiles, are used for destruction", he explains. After a brief pause he looks up and, like its the most obvious thing in the world, he states, " _ **You**_ aren't a weapon, you can be a protector. We both can". 

You look at him questioningly, "We?" 

He gives you a reassuring smile that intrigues you and replies, "We". 

* * *

You've been replaying the conversation with your father over and over again in your head on the plane ride back to Manhattan. You really wish you could've stayed longer, but you had to finish up your semester for your degree. You knew Tony Stark well enough to know he was planning something, and you were sure that this was something completely different from anything he's done before. You agreed that you would begin training to master your abilities. JARVIS would assist in your meditations and log your vitals to show you a detailed report. You close your eyes and rub your temples at the impending headache that you were trying to will away. You focus on your breathing and wonder how all of this was supposed to work out. 

Your father wanted you to be a protector. For you to use your abilities for the greater good. How were you supposed to do that? These gifts-- if that's what you could call them-- that surfaced out of nowhere when you were sixteen, were nothing more than a curse. I mean you blew up a car for god sake! The fact that no one was in it was besides the point. It was a terrible discovery to know what you were capable of if you lost control. Since then you swore you would do everything in your power-- and what power you had apparently-- to never let it happen again, and now your father wanted you to use your abilities, enhance them even! It's ludicrous!

I mean what did he think was gonna happen? It's not like you would become some kind of super hero!

* * *

"So let me get this straight.. I go off to finish my semester", you state as you begin to list off everything you missed, "and you build some kind of crazy metal suit, rescue a village in the Middle East, find out Obadiah was the reason you were captured and then he tries to kill you? Now some secret organization wants to cover everything up?" you finish with a crazy look in your eye. 

"We're not that secret. We're the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division", a man in a black suit explains. "My names Agent Phil Coulson".

"SHIELD?" you ask. Everyone give you a strange look at your outburst, while the agent replies matter-of-factly, "Yes, that's what we're known as".

Your father looks up from the newspaper he was reading discussing the suit he created. "You know its not actually made of Iron, its a Nickel-Titanium Alloy", he states annoyed like this detail should be obvious to the media.

Coulson replies, ignoring Tony, "We have your alibi all worked out, you were on your yacht..". Before he can finish explaining the cover story that they've worked out, Tony says, "How about we were alone on a romantic island", looking up at Pepper who is covering up his cuts and bruises with some makeup. She simply rolls her eyes and slightly smacks his head hiding the smile and blush that has crept onto her cheeks. 

You look adoringly at the pair, seeing that some progress has been made between the two since the last time you saw them. Finally!

After a few more minute he walks out of the room to give his statement to the press, while you and Pepper stay behind to watch the encounter on the TV. Watching as a reporter claims that she doesn't think your father is a hero; you hold your breath, knowing Tony Stark is about to go off script. Like clockwork you hear your father says a simple sentence that you know will change your lives forever. 

"The truth is, I am Iron Man".

Exhaling, you whisper, "Here we go".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Bucky/reader (romantic) story as well as a Tony/reader (father/daughter) story. Both are equally important! We’ll meet Bucky around chapter 4 or 5.
> 
> Anything that isn't in this fic, remains true to MCU timeline (Events, Discussions, etc.)
> 
> A little about our reader, she's 18 during the events of the first Iron Man and yes she is about to finish her Master's, but she's Tony Stark's daughter so of course she is brilliant and able to breeze passed her academics! She will often refer to Rhodey as her uncle, because he's Tony's best friend so obviously an uncle figure to her.
> 
> The first few chapter will be much of the same format because we'll be jumping around until we get to the events of Captain America: Winter Solider where things will be much more played out because that is where our story will really take off.


	2. My Greatest Creation Will Always Be You

“Getting Senator Stern to say, ‘Fuck You’, live on national television is probably one of your greatest achievements”, you express, sarcasm filling your voice. Heading back to Malibu, you and Tony have been discussing how to keep your abilities a secret now that everyone, including a wide variety of government organizations, were going to be watching your family closer than ever. After a long and thorough discussion, you both concluded that they’ll probably be focusing their efforts on Tony Stark only, rather than his daughter who lives under the radar much unlike her father’s lifestyle.

“We’ve still got to keep our guard up; I don’t want anyone figuring out what you’re capable of and decide to ship you to Area 51!” You glance over at the seat he’s occupying on the private plane and poke fun at how he still believes there are aliens hidden away in the Nevada desert. “You can’t deny that were not alone in this fucking universe!” You concede as you laugh at your father’s love of conspiracy theories. He rolls his eyes but has a soft smile as he looks at you. As you watch him, his smile slowly begins to fade, and he begins to look worried. “I need to know that you’ll be okay if... anything should ever happen to me”, he states, unconsciously rubbing his chest.

“Dad is everything alright?”, you question as an uneasy feeling takes hold of you. You can’t explain it, but you feel like something is wrong. Your father simply brushes your concern off, stating that he’s just worried about your safety, given the very big skeleton in your closet. You tell him you understand and drop the topic, but you can’t seem to shake the feeling like he’s hiding something from you.

* * *

Once you get home you begin thinking about how you’ve made quite a bit of progress with the control of your abilities in the few months since the talk you both shared after his captivity. The first step was figuring out what exactly you were capable of, based on your data, you assumed that it was energy and matter related. JARVIS’s reports revealed that your body was producing waves of energy, that you could only assume was the redistribution of your body’s internal kinetic energy into stationary objects, causing them to fly in the opposite direction of your person. You’ve since mastered focusing on one singular object and moving it how far you wanted it to go as well as how fast it was moving.

This explained why your minor episodes had you flinging objects in every direction but shed no light on the unfortunate car incident. So, the best way to figure this out was to recreate the event. You remember that the incident began with you feeling agitated about your father missing your graduation from NYU, I mean you worked hard to get that bachelor’s degree! You stormed into the private garage of the building that your shared penthouse had ready to rip his head off. You argued back and forth with the result being one of Tony’s many fancy cars engulfed in flames that DUM-E was able to extinguish.

Now, your father looks at you, giving you the go ahead to set ablaze the Toyota Prius that he purchased specifically for this experiment. You take a deep breath and try to think of anything that would piss you off. Within a matter of minutes, you feel the heat of the fire and DUM-E immediately puts out the flames.

“Well at least he’s good for something”, your father quips, looking at what he calls his worst invention. You tell him to be nice and ask JARVIS if he was able to detect what happened.

“It would appear that the molecules of the vehicle rapidly increased, producing an abundance of friction resulting in the fire”, you hear the robotic British voice answer you.

“So, I sped the molecules of the car. Hmm… I wonder if I can speed the molecules of something else.”, you state as you focus in on some papers laying on your father’s desk. A few seconds later, your father is cursing at you that those were important documents. Your only reply is the smirk you shoot at him.

* * *

“Where do you think these abilities came from?”, you question your father as you were eating another slice of pizza. “Could it have something to do with my mother?”

“I told you firecracker, I only had a short fling with her. She disappeared and almost a year later, you were at my doorstep with a note saying that she wished she could take care of you, but she wasn’t allowed.” You nod your head knowing the story well. Your father always said that he was infatuated with your mother, more than he ever was with any other woman, and tried to track her down but the name she gave him yielded no results.

“I know, but maybe if we tried looking for her again, we might be one step closer to figuring out where I got these abilities from.” You plead with him, but he tells you the same thing that he’s told you a million times. That he’s always kept the search for her going, even using facial recognition, but never getting any leads. Its like she vanished off of the face of the Earth.

“Wherever these powers you have came from doesn’t matter anymore. You just need to focus on controlling them.” He states effectively ending the discussion. Opening your mouth to argue with him, you pause as you think better of the decision. You know that your father never liked to discuss the topic of your mother for very long. Never understanding if it was because he couldn’t stand the idea that one of his many conquests rejected him and their shared child as being worthy of her time or if it was something else. Knowing Tony Stark better than anyone else, you believe that it was more likely that he really did love your mother at one point and felt betrayed at the lies she told him. Abandoning their child as a baby was just the cherry on top of the whole mess. Your father always told you that he never understood that part of the story. He understood leaving him—being with Tony Stark was quite a responsibility after all—but he never could comprehend how anyone could discard their child, especially one as remarkable as you. You simply sigh, letting the subject go and finishing up your pizza.

* * *

Running on the treadmill, you watch as Happy and your father “box”—if you could call it that—in the ring in the middle of the room. You roll your eyes when you hear Tony state something about mixed martial arts after doing an illegal move and laugh when Happy replies, “It’s called dirty boxing and there’s nothing new about it”.

Pepper enters the room, expressing that she needs Tony’s signature on the notary to cement her as the new CEO of Stark Industries. You loved the idea of her running the company, I mean that’s basically what she’s been doing for the past few years anyway if you were being completely honest. As Pepper and Tony discuss various topics, you see that your father beckons over a pretty redhead that just walked into the room. She enters the ring with Happy who, at Tony’s request, decides she could use a self-defense lesson. Within a few minutes she wraps her legs around Happy’s neck and flips him over, effectively pinning him to the ground.

“Holy shit! I wanna train wherever she learned how to do that!”, you shout excitingly, getting off the treadmill to walk over to her. “I’m Y/N, Tony’s daughter. That was so badass! Can you show me how to do that?” She raises a perfect eyebrow and gives you a smile.

“I don’t think I can do it again. Probably just the adrenaline kicking in”, she states simply. “I’m Natalie Rushman, it’s nice to meet you”. Looking over at your father she says, “I need your impression”.

* * *

You took an immediate liking to Natalie and she to you. You didn’t have many friends, just your family that consisted of Pepper, Happy, Rhodey and your father. So, you felt like you and Natalie would form a great friendship with her hanging around as the legalities for the company were being worked out. It was a shame that you had to miss out of the Grand Prix, but you decided it was best to stay home and work on enhancing your abilities. You made the discovery that you not only could manipulate your own energy, but the energy around you as well as not only speeding molecules up but slowing them down as well. Your most recent experiment yielded results in the form of water. You focused on slowing the molecules of the water that was flowing from the faucet. Slowly the water began to solidify forming ice and effectively clogging the faucet. “Sweet!” you shouted in excitement.

After working on manipulating the energy around your body, which basically formed a type of forcefield that stopped objects being hurdled at you, with the assistance of Rhodey; you both decided to take a break and watch the Grand Prix on the TV. You looked quizzically at one another when you saw your father decide to drive the Stark Ind. Vehicle, thinking that this wasn’t going to end well.

The race was going pretty smooth until a man walked onto the track utilizing some kind of high-tech whips and attacked your father. The coverage promptly was switched back to the people in the studio, stating that there was some sort of technical issue. Worried you began dialing Pepper until she picked up the phone 20 minutes later. She expressed that everyone was alright, and the man was in custody, but your father seemed a bit shaken up by the ordeal. Sighing in relief, you ask who he was. Disappointment filled you when she replied that they weren’t sure just yet, but they would find out. You say your goodbyes and hang up the phone. Weren’t things supposed to be safer with Iron Man watching over everyone?

* * *

“His name is Ivan Vanko, he apparently has some sort of grudge with our family”, your father sates as he pinches the bridge of his nose. This was not good, like at all. Before you can reply, Rhodey storms into the work area telling us that the national guard is thinking of taking the Iron Man suits by force, agitation evident in his voice. You glance over at your dad and see that he looks like he’s about to pass out. Rhodey swiftly catches him before he hits the floor and walks him over to his desk.

Removing the arc reactor from his chest, he pulls out the core that is sizzling; the burnt smell of metal filling your nose as he does. “Is that supposed to be smoking?”, Rhodey questions.

“No, it’s not”, you reply simply. You begin to work the equations in your head, the Palladium core must be having some toxic side effects. “Dad the core is killing you! The more the core powers, the quicker the toxins will enter your bloodstream before you can remove them naturally. How long have you known about this?”, you ask.

“Don’t tell Pepper”, is his only reply. You sigh wanting nothing more than to strangle your father. You state that we can find another element in replace on the Palladium. You have to go back to Manhattan to get some of your research.

“I’m gonna miss your birthday party, but I may just save your life. I call that an even trade”, You give him a hug and tell him not to do anything stupid while you’re gone. He simply nods his head and with that you head off.

* * *

“They got into a brawl… In the Suits?!”, you shriek. Way to not do anything stupid Dad, you think. Boarding the plane to head back to California you hang up the phone with Pepper. God this couldn’t get anymore messy. JARVIS informed you earlier that he has run simulations for every known element, and nothing is a suitable replacement for the Palladium core. You’ll have to work day and night to save your father’s life, and you would without hesitation. You couldn’t lose him. This was your field of study; you are brilliant as is your father. Together you could find a solution. You had to.

Walking into the house, you see that it is in absolute disarray. Broken glass everywhere, huge holes in the middle of the floor and the living room wall was completely missing exposing the ocean hundreds of feet below. You simply sigh and begin unloading your research and equipment into your father’s work area while you wait for him to show his face.

Hours pass by with yet another failed test for the potential replacement for the arc reactor’s core. You suddenly hear voices upstairs. You run up the steps, two at a time to see who it was. You hear an unknown man say, “Howard said that the arc reactor was a steppingstone for something greater”. You look at the man with an eyepatch over his left eye and he turns his attention to you. “You must be Y/N. We’ve been keeping an eye on you as much as your old man.”. You get a bad feeling in your gut. So, they **_have_** been watching you. Did that mean they knew what you were capable of?

The man senses what must be running through your head and states, “Don’t worry. Only myself and a group of hand selected individuals know about your abilities. We’ve distracted other parties from looking into you. Your secret is safe with us. My name is Nick Fury, I’m the director at SHIELD.”

You father sits up; the revelation that they knew about you putting him on edge more than he already was. “What exactly do you intend to do with that information?’, he questions.

“Nothing that Y/N isn’t comfortable with. If she wants to be left alone, we’ll back off. If she wants to train with us, she can”. You look up at Fury at this point.

“Train? What do you mean?” Before he can respond you hear a feminine voice state that the perimeter was secured.

“Natalie? You’re SHIELD?” Feeling betrayed, you don’t know what to make of the revelation. She looks somewhat ashamed but shifts the expression to a blank one.

“Yes, I am. I’m a shadow, I was assigned to you and your father. My name is Natasha Romanoff”, she states simply.

* * *

After a few more minutes of discussion you and your father were left alone to find the solution to the arc reactor’s core. “My father was a founder of SHIELD? Said the future was riding on me? What a bunch of bullshit!”, he seethes. Your grandfather was a very sore subject for your father, which is why he was never brought up. You both were watching some old reel videos of Howard discussing the first Stark Expo while also going through his old journals.

The last video was your grandfather seemingly talking directly to Tony, “My greatest achievement will always be you”. Your father seemingly had enough and decided to go blow off some steam and left.

A few hours later he returned with the model of the Stark Expo and asked Jarvis to scan the model and show us the holographic representation. “Firecracker what does that look like to you?”

You take a moment to look over the model before you see it, “It looks like an atom!”

* * *

“Did we just discover a new element?”, you ask excitedly.

“Technically were rediscovering it, thanks to my dear old Dad”, he replies, thinking.

“It should make a suitable replacement for the Palladium core. Unfortunately, it is impossible to synthesize”, JARVIS chimes in.

“Get ready for a major remodel! We’re back in hardware mode!” Your father shouts as you rush after him.

* * *

The success of synthesizing the new element and effectively saving your father’s life was an indescribable feeling, although it was very short lived. You were running some standard tests when you received a call from an unknown number. Vanko apparently was alive and promising vengeance. “I have to go”, he tells you.

“Okay, let’s go”, you look up at him and know you’re not going to like what he’s about to say.

“You need to stay here. Knowing that SHIELD knows about you is an eye opener. You have to be more careful now than ever before. Not to mention that man wants to see our family destroyed. Please… just stay here”, he begs. “I need to know you’re safe”. You ponder this for a moment before you concede and decide to stay put.

“You know I’m going to have to show the world what I’m capable of at some point and I will probably face some dangerous situations. I can’t be a protector if I don’t join the fight”.

“I know… But just wait a little longer”, he pleads

* * *

The expo was showing no sign of danger until Hammer’s drones began to wreak havoc on the audience. Based on what your father told you there was a fight between him and Vanko. With the aid of Rhodey they were able to neutralize Vanko and Justin Hammer was arrested. Apparently, Natalie… err, Natasha was quite the badass herself according to Happy.

After the whole ordeal, you met with Natasha and Fury to discuss something that was top secret. Apparently, they were thinking of recruiting Tony for something called the ‘Avenger’s Initiative’. He was deemed, “not a team player” and they decided not to continue with their recruitment for him. However, they still wanted to recruit **_you_**.

“I’m sorry, you want me to join a super-secret boyband of heroes?” you ask doubt filling your voice.

“Yes, we do. If you accept, you’ll be training in combat under Natasha while also training to utilize your abilities. You’ll be an unstoppable asset. Brains, combat trained and you’ll have your powers as well. You’ll make a big difference in the world”, Fury explains.

You look over at your father. He simply states, “It’s your call. You can’t be a protector if you don’t join the fight”. He gives you a reassuring smile before you agree to join.

* * *

Before heading off to an undisclosed location to begin your training with Natasha and someone named Clint, another SHIELD agent, you had one last night with your father who was being very cryptic about the night. He made sure that Pepper would be coming. Turns out that, the two decided to make things official and begin a relationship. About damn time! You couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds. Your father seemed happier than you’ve ever seen him, and you were about to embark on quite the journey yourself.

Before leaving, Tony pulled you aside for one final time, “You know how we watched that video of my father and he said that the future was riding on me? I never got that, but I do now. Especially being a father myself. I want you to know that **_my_** greatest creation will always be you”. You give him a tight hug as he kisses your forehead fighting back the tears at his declaration. You look back one final time before boarding the quinjet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any feeback is welcomed!
> 
> Next Chapter is the Avengers! This is where we'll learn more about Y/N's backstory and she finally joins the fight!


	3. The Avenger's Initiative Pt. 1

“You have to make sure you keep your core tight. If your opponent gets in a hit, it needs to be minor and not distract you from being on the offensive”, Natasha corrects your posture. “Like this. Okay, go again”. I sigh as I begin sparring once again. Managing to get in a few good hits, even knocking the infamous ‘Black Widow’ off of her feet and onto the floor. The victory was short lived, however. She managed to turn her vulnerable state into the upper hand as she kicks at your feet and effectively pinning you to the ground.

“Dammit, am I ever going to be able to beat you?”, I ask annoyed. Her reply is a simple smirk as she gets to her feet, pulling you up as she does so.

“Maybe, it’s usually rare for proteges to be able to best the ones that train them. I never could at least”. This intrigues you. Nat usually never brought up her past and Clint advised never to push the subject unless she broached the topic first. Apparently, it was a dark time in her life.

“Oh yeah? And who was the badass that trained you?”, I ask hesitantly. She brushes off the question saying someone she preferred not to think about. You decide it best to drop the subject. 

Instead you think that the last year has been quite eventful for you. Training under Natasha, with the assistance of Clint, was a hard time, but she wanted to make sure you could take care of yourself in the line of work that you signed up for. You and Nat formed a close bond, a sisterhood of sorts, and she became very dear to you and you to her. She called you her ‘little one’ and she always demanded the best of you, as did Clint. You and he weren’t as close as you and Natasha, but you got along great. He always seemed to have his defenses up, like he had a secret that no one was supposed to know about. You never pushed about it and never took it personal. If anyone knew about keeping something private, it was you.

“So, Kroshka, any big plans for your birthday?”, Nat asks as you leave the gym area of the SHIELD training facility. You completely forgot that your twentieth birthday was coming up. You’ve been so focused on training.

Learning to physically defend yourself was a last line of defense. Fury wanted you to also be able to rely more on your abilities. He made a secure location that only Nat, Clint, himself, and you knew about for you to really train on enhancing your powers. You were now able to move multiple objects of your choosing both away from yourself as well as towards yourself—it was really handy when you didn’t want to get up to grab the TV remote. You were also more skilled at molecular manipulation; you were able to cause various objects to combust as well as freeze. You even mastered doing both at the same time! Fury was pleased with your developments, but he was very interested in your ability to create forcefields, for lack of a better term.

At the beginning of your training, Nat decided that you should have more of an offensive approach to your attacks. This allowed you to maximize your physical training as well as your abilities for the best outcome for missions. Fury concurred with this decision and said that if you ever needed to be on the defensive, your ability to create forcefields would aid you greatly.

“I actually forgot about it. I should probably take a break and go visit my Dad. See how his ‘clean energy’ project is going”, you reply. She nods her head agreeing that it seemed like a good plan. Nat was leaving for a mission in Russia and Clint was overseeing some big secret project that was classified, so you were on your own.

“Before you go, we have a gift for you”, she pauses as Clint walks in carrying a box wrapped in red wrapping paper with a gold bow.

“You guys! I love how you picked my father’s colors”; you laugh as you begin peeling the paper off and open the box revealing your own tactical suit. “Oh my god… I thought I wasn’t supposed to get a suit until I was combat ready?”, you question eyeing the pair.

They look at one another and give you an encouraging smile. “You are combat ready”, Clint states simply.

“Fury wants to continue your training but gave the green light for missions!” Nat adds.

You give them both a hug and say that you love it and that you won’t let them down. After the duo convinced you to try on the gear, you notice that your shoulders are bare of any patches. “No SHIELD logo?”, you ask. Clint told you that you aren’t a SHIELD agent, but an Avenger. You’ll work in conjunction with the agency, but you were technically not associated with them. Until a full team of Avengers was formed you would assist in SHIELD operations.

You look at yourself in the mirror and note that the suit accentuated your features and made you look like a total badass—which you guess you were at this point. Stripping out of the gear and into some comfortable clothes you begin packing. Excited to share everything that has happened since the last time you saw your father.

* * *

“You’re a certified badass firecracker!”, Tony exclaims. Catching up with your father and Pepper over the last few days has been the best vacation you’ve ever had. Your father was working on using the element you created to power the Stark tower he built in midtown Manhattan, planned on putting it in motion tomorrow night. He was catching you up with the company, his and Pepper’s relationship, and all things Iron Man related. You have never seen your father look more comfortable than that moment. Arm slung over the backside of the couch sitting next to Pepper as he explained his plans for the future enthusiastically. After a few more hours catching up and spending time together you went to bed, knowing tomorrow was a huge day for your father.

* * *

“It’s like Christmas morning, except with more… me”, you father chimes in over the comms. You roll your eyes at his ego trip but can’t help the smile that adorns your face at your father’s achievement. He walks into the tower after having his suit removed and talks about the tower holding steady with the new arc reactor in place with Pepper. They banter back in forth which you mostly ignore; only hearing something about ‘12%’. JARVIS chimes in that Agent Coulson was here, this snapped you back to reality. What was Phil doing here? I should still have another week off, what could he possibly need to discuss?

Phil seemed more worried than usual as he hands me a file that Tony and I look over. Various screens appear with ‘Captain America’-- who is apparently alive and well--, a huge green man, another dark-haired man, and a blue glowing cube. Pepper excuses herself stating that we have a lot of homework to do. On her way out with Phil, he looks back at me at tells me something that immediately gets me moving, “Barton’s been compromised’. The gasp that escapes me cause my father to become more serious than before and we both briefly glance at each other before we dive right into the files.

* * *

“Agent Romanoff. You miss me?”, you hear your father chime in over the comms that he hacked into on the quinjet. He drops to the ground after dropping you off safely behind the jet. Walking up to where your father landed and see the infamous ‘Captain America’ to his left. He holds the dark-haired man, Loki, with all of his weapons at the ready. You look over at him, ready to strike at any moment.

“Make a move, reindeer games”, you hear Tony threatening the god. You see Loki glance at you for a second too long with a somewhat baffled look on his face before submitting and hear your father say, “Good move”.

* * *

After loading the prisoner on the quinjet you begin to head back to the helicarrier’s location. You check on how Nat is doing with Clint being compromised. She seems slightly shaken up, but remains composed, simply stating that they’ll get him back. You give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before heading back to where your father was standing with Steve Rogers. Right as you walk up to them you hear your father say, “You’ve missed a lot, being a capsicle and all”.

“Dad now is not the time”, you scold. Turning to the World War II hero, you introduce yourself. “Hi, I’m Y/N Stark. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The tall blonde looks over at you and replaces the stern look that was on his face a moment ago with a soft smile. “Steve Rogers. The pleasure is all mine, ma’am.” You shake hands before glancing at the prisoner only to find him already looking at you quizzically. You’re caught off guard and advert your eyes hearing thunder and lightning appear out of nowhere outside the quinjet.

“Scared of a little thunder?”, Steve questions.

“I’m not overly found of what follows”, is his reply.

Within a matter of minutes, a loud bang is heard on top of the jet and the prisoner is grabbed by a tall, long-haired blonde who then jumps out of the jet with the prisoner in his grasp. Your father follows suit and you see Steve grab a parachute jumping out after your father. No way you were going to sit this out, you think as you grab the other parachute and jump after Steve.

By the time you get to where the three men are, the prisoner watching from above, they are standing in a semicircle, trees broken all around them, staring at one another. A look of distrust on each of their faces. It looks as if round two is about to begin, when you create individual force fields around the trio stopping anymore fighting.

“That’s enough!”, you yell.

The tall blonde looks at you, taken aback. “Freya?”, he questions.

Hearing this, your force fields cease and the men are set free. “How do you know that name?”, you hear your father ask accusingly.

“Who is Freya?”, Steve asks curiously albeit somewhat annoyed that another player is now involved.

“My mother”, you reply shakily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to split this chapter into 2. Getting into the mother mystery!


	4. The Avenger's Initiative Pt. 2

“My mother is a god?!” You yell. After the revelation, the three men and you escorted the prisoner back to the jet and were about to arrive on the helicarrier. Your head was swirling with the new information.

“I mean it would explain your abilities firecracker”, your father chimes in. “It would also explain why we never were able to find her. She hasn’t been on Earth”.

“Can we get back to the matter at hand”, Steve quips. “Your brother is a danger to this world!”

“This is why the AllFather sent me here. I need to return to Asgard with my brother, so that he can be judged for his crimes”, the blonde, Thor, states.

“We still need to know where the Tesseract is”, Steve rebuts. “We stick to the mission”.

* * *

After arriving on the helicarrier, you decide you need to be alone for a little bit. To digest the new information that you’ve received. Steve was right, everyone, including yourself and Tony, needed to focus on the mission. Beginning to feel yourself losing control—something that hasn’t happened to you in over a year-- you decide to meditate. You needed to focus. What seems like a few minutes was actually a few hours. Deciding that you’ve had enough time to come to terms with your new reality, you look for the others. When you find them, you walk into a scene that you were not expecting.

“You want to know my secret Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?”, a man in a purple shirt, Bruce Banner, seethes. You slowly walk forward, ready to diffuse the situation with your force fields.

“Dr. Banner put down the scepter”, Steve commands calmly.

An alarm starts to beep, Banner places the scepter back on the table, and you hear various people begin to argue when all of a sudden. BOOM! You’re all flung forward, and everyone is put on high alert. Moving into action. You and your father are tasked with repairing engine three. Tony says he’ll meet you and Steve at the engine as he prepares to suit up.

Steve is tasked with manning the relay panel while Tony goes into the engine to remove the debris. “It seems to run on some form of electricity”, Steve tells your father.

“Well, you’re not wrong. Y/N you want to help him out?”

“I’m on it!” you reply as you make your way to where Steve is standing. “Rotors are in tacked!”, you tell your father after looking over the panel. “We’ll need a kick to get that engine back up though!”

“Yeah, I’m working on it. Y/N you’ll have to reverse the thrusters once I get it back up to speed”, Tony replies.

“Speak English”, Steve shouts.

“I’ll Pull that lever when my dad gives us the go ahead”, you tell him. “You’ll watch my back?”.

Steve nods and, over the next few minutes, keeps majority of the compromised men away from where you two are standing. One agent manages to best Steve and he falls off the platform but grabs a wire before falling off. You spring into action, sending the man flying into the wall behind him, effectively knocking him out. You rush to Steve’s aid and help him back onto the platform. Right as you do, you hear your father over the comms saying to pull the lever. You rush back over to the panel and pull the lever allowing your father to escape without any issues.

You all make your way back inside. Loki managed to escape, Thor and Banner were nowhere to be found, and Coulson was critically injured. You make your way back to the control room where Fury explains that Phil didn’t make it and that he believed, more than anyone, about what the Avenger’s Initiative could do for our world. We all take a moment to ponder this and I step away from the group, looking for Nat. Apparently, she was able to find Clint and reverse the effects of Loki’s scepter.

“This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for”, you hear Nat explaining to Clint before you enter the room. Deciding to give the duo their space you head back downstairs to find your father.

You walk into the room that was holding Loki, right as your father seethes, “ ** _We_** are not soldiers!”, at Steve.

“No, we’re not, but we’re here for a reason. We’re protectors, remember?”, you reply gaining the attention of Steve and Tony. Your father just nods, while Steve looks over at you deep in thought.

Your father begins to ramble about how Loki wants an audience. He stops, figuring out what his plan is, “Son of a bitch”. Looking over at me, “He’s going to our tower”. You understand and you all get ready for the battle of your lives.

* * *

Your father flies away in his suit as the rest of you pile onto the quinjet, headed for Manhattan. Clint and Nat are piloting the aircraft and remain at the front on the jet, while you and Steve are at the back.

“Thank you, for saving my life”, Steve tells you sincerely after a few minutes of silence.

You glance up at him, “You would’ve done it for me. That’s what we do as a team.” He seems sadden by this statement.

“I had a team back in the war, y’know.” He says, looking down. “My best friend, Bucky, saved my life more times than I can count, and I couldn’t return the favor when he needed me.”

“Hey, you can’t blame yourself. I guarantee you he doesn’t.” You pause before continuing, “Sometimes we can’t save everyone, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”

He manages to huff out a laugh, “You know you remind me of him a bit. He was very charismatic, loyal and a tad reckless. He always knew what to say to make me feel better too. I think you would’ve liked him”, Steve replies looking up and giving you a soft smile.

Smiling back, you say, “I’m sure I would have”. Looking at him you continue, “Y’know after this whole mess, you should stick around. I used to feel so lost, but after joining this cause I feel like my life finally has a purpose. The world could really use someone like ‘Captain America’; you’d really make a difference.”.

“I’m not sure I can work for the people that got us into this mess”, he replies shaking his head.

You nod, “Yeah I get that, but I don’t work for shield. I’m an Avenger, I work **_with_** Shield, not for them. You could too.”.

Before he can reply, you hear Nat’s voice over the comms, “Ten minutes out”. You both stand preparing for the fight ahead of you.

* * *

You arrive at the tower and one of your engines is destroyed by Loki, you crash land in the middle of midtown Manhattan. Exiting the jet, you father’s voice fills your comms, “Firecracker, the cube is surrounded by an impenetrable energy field. You think you could absorb the energy to close the portal?”

“I can try”, you reply, looking up at the sky and seeing the army of aliens descend down upon the city. “It might take me a bit to get up there though.”

Steve runs to help the civilians caught in the crossfire; while Clint, Nat and yourself hold off the aliens. Nat fires her guns, as Clint releases arrows. You manage to place a force field around a group of civilians, when you were pinned down. After the civilians find shelter, you release an energy wave sending the aliens around you three flying in the opposite direction. Nat and Clint begin to fire again when Nat says, “It’s like Budapest all over again!”.

Clint simply replies, “You and I remember Budapest very differently”.

You roll your eyes as you cause three cars to explode, taking out multiple aliens. “Are you two ever going to tell me what happened there?”

Clint laughs as Nat smirks. “Fine don’t tell me”, you huff.

* * *

After about twenty minutes of fighting, the team, including Thor, regroup and Banner shows up just in time for Tony to bring a huge monster headed straight for us.

“Dr. Banner now would be a really good time to get angry”, Steve tells him.

“That’s my secret Captain. I’m always angry”, he replies as he transforms into The Hulk smashing the skull of the monster just as Tony fires an explosive at it. You managed to cover the group with your force field to avoid the blast.

Steve directs what everyone should be doing and the team splits. You make your way to Stark Tower to try and absorb the energy surrounding the cube. Once you get to the top floor, you make your way to the device. You take a deep breath feeling the energy and you begin to pull it into your body. It feels like you’ve been set on fire, you scream as you continue to absorb the energy.

“Y/N stop! The energy is too much for you!”, your father yells through the comms, panic evident in his voice after hearing your screams.

“No! I can do this!”, you yell back.

“It’ll kill you!”, Steve screams next.

As you continue to absorb the energy, an older man you haven’t noticed before, Dr. Selvig, tells you that he built in a failsafe. That Loki’s scepter can shut down the portal and that its right below your position. Natasha says she’s on it, making her way to you. Once Nat arrives, Selvig opens his computer and tells Nat to place the scepter right at the crown portal.

“We can close the portal! Does anybody copy?” she yells.

“Do it!” Steve replies.

“No wait, I got a nuke coming in. Gonna detonate in less than a minute! And I know just where to put it.” Tony states.

“Stark… You know that’s a one-way trip.” You hear Steve say.

“Dad! Don’t!” you plead, still absorbing the cube’s energy.

There’s a brief pause before you hear him, “Whatever happens firecracker, know that I love you”.

The next few moments go by extremely fast and excruciatingly slow. You watch as your father, carrying the missile, disappears into the portal and it detonates a few seconds later. Steve orders you to close the portal, which Nat does. Inserting the scepter and closing the portal. Prior to it being completely closed, you see your father fall from the sky. Relief washes over you, until you notice that he keeps falling. Before anyone can react, Hulk catches him midair and falls to the ground. Silence is all you hear until your father’s voice fills your comms. He rambles on about Shawarma and you laugh despite the ordeal you just went through.

* * *

“Your mother was of Asgard. She was a free spirit, moving from realm to realm, learning all that she could. She was known to take lovers of each realm she visited. Her last journey was to Midgard, and afterwards she returned home, to Asgard. None knew what her crime was, but Odin banished her to Helfiem for a crime he deemed was too horrid to discuss.” Thor explains what he knew of your mother after of the battle and imprisonment of Loki.

“Helfiem?”, you question.

“A realm of death. Lost souls who were unfit for Valhalla. Nothing can survive.” He says solemnly. “Knowing that you exist, sheds a light to her circumstances. Asgardians are not meant to procreate with those not from our realm. Your existence explains her banishment and why the Allfather did not want it known. It is a great mercy that he allowed you to live at all.”

Tony huffs at this, “Yeah, remind me to send him a thank you card for not murdering my daughter!”.

“Dad, please...”, you say. “So, my mother is dead, and it’s because of me.”

“You must understand, Odin is very unforgiving. He cast me out as well, but to Midgard.” Thor pauses, “It would explain the powers that you possess. Freya was known to have the gift of magic, and to use her spells to protect her children. She once made her son immune to harm, so that he could not be killed. It would not be unthinkable to assume she cast a spell on you as well, to protect yourself if need be.”

When you didn’t reply, he continued, “I am terribly sorry for what my father has caused your kin. You must believe me”.

You did, but it didn’t make knowing your mother’s fate any more bearable. Having heard enough, you excuse yourself to process the information.

* * *

It was decided that Thor would take both the Tesseract and Loki back to Asgard with him. You could tell that he felt tremendous guilt for his father’s actions, and you couldn’t hold him accountable for something he was not responsible for. Before their departure, Thor invited you to Asgard, you politely declined. You did not want to meet the man who is the reason you will never know your mother. Thor understood this but kept the invitation open if you ever changed your mind. Once they were gone, Clint and Nat departed to head back to SHIELD. Steve and your father shook hands before you and he hugged. Tony then left with Bruce to discuss some kind of science matter, you thought it was cute that your father was beginning a bromance. You and Steve were left, and you extended your hand to bid him farewell when he says, “Y’know, I’ve been thinking about your offer and I think it’s a good idea. Joining the fight again.”.

“You do? That’s great!”, you take a moment before continuing, “I could really go for some coffee… Wanna join me? You can tell me more about what you and Bucky did back in the day.”

He laughs and agrees, you could tell you and he were going to be great friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CA:TWS is next. I decided to skip Iron Man 3 because our reader will be busy with SHIELD and Steve. Our story is really going to start unfolding in the next chapter! As always feedback is more than welcomed!


	5. When Do We Start?

“Aegis? That’s what they’re calling me? That’s so lame! I mean everyone else gets a badass name and I get ‘Aegis’?” you huff after hearing what the news was referring to you as.

“Take it as a compliment. I mean think about it, no one has ever seen anything like you. You’re a protector to them, Y/N.”, Steve tells you, hoping to lift your spirits.

“But come on ‘Aegis’, I mean they picked my name based on only one of my abilities.” You begin to pout and all you hear is Steve starting to laugh at you.

* * *

“He blew up all the suits?”, I ask, not quite believing what Rhodey just told me. After the Battle of New York, Tony had a hard time adjusting. Apparently, he was suffering from some sort of PTSD, which is understandable. He did almost die after sending a warhead into space. Finding out that Happy was in the hospital in critical condition right before our Malibu home was destroyed and that my father was missing sent me into a downward spiral. I refused to train, couldn’t manage to eat or sleep. Steve and Nat were very concerned for my well-being. I remained that way until Tony was found, perfectly fine, a few days later in Tennessee. I remember sighing in relief before turning to Steve and giving him a huge hug. He seemed relieved as well.

“Yeah, crazy right?”, Rhodey says. “Pepper is doing okay, Tony is working on reversing whatever it is that Killian did to her”, pausing for a moment he continues, “He also is finally removing the shrapnel from his chest. He won’t need to arc reactor anymore”.

This revelation is something you weren’t expecting. “Wait, he destroyed all his suits and is ditching the arc reactor? Is he done being Iron Man?”, you question.

“We’re not sure. Whatever he decides, we’ll keep fighting”, Rhodey replies.

“Tell him to call me first chance he gets”. With that you say your goodbyes and look for Nat.

* * *

Later that night, your phone begins to ring. You immediately pick up, already knowing who it is.

“Hey Firecracker, sorry about not calling sooner. It’s been… a hectic time over here.” Your father tells you.

“I know, how are you doing? Rhodey tells me that you plan on removing the arc reactor?”

He tells you that yeah, he has the procedure scheduled and that Pepper is going to be fine. He’s already worked out how to reverse what was done to her. You are relieved that the pair are fine and ecstatic that Happy will make a full recovery.

“So, are you done being Iron Man, Dad?” you question him seriously.

“For now, no more solo missions. Unless the Avenger’s need me, I’m gonna remain on the sideline”, he replies. You understood, you really did.

* * *

“Kroshka, we have a new assignment. On route to get Steve”, the redhead tells you over the phone.

“Okay, I’ll suit up. Meet you in 15?”, the silence you hear is enough explanation. “I’m not going, am I?”

“No. Fury wants you to sit this one out. It’s a small mission, Kroshka. Only Steve and I need to be there. We’ll be back by tomorrow morning.”, you sigh knowing that there was nothing you could do to change Fury’s decision.

The last few months have been mainly you, Steve and Nat training and going on missions. You and Steve even decided to get an apartment together outside of the SHIELD compound to better acclimate Steve to the new era. You were currently showing him the Saw movies, which he thought was the most disgusting thing he ever saw, and he lived through the most brutal war. You two adopted a sibling like relationship. You were there to listen when he talked about the war and everything he missed after going into the ice. When he finally told you about Peggy, you felt so heartbroken for him. You managed to track her down and gave Steve the address of the hospital she was in. After his first visit he told you that she had Alzheimer’s disease. He cried on your shoulder for the rest of the night.

* * *

“Insight it the most unAmerican thing I have ever seen”, Steve fumes. “They want to pass judgement on people who haven’t even committed a crime yet!”

“Demanding fear instead of promising protection and freedom is definitely a step back, but who knows? Maybe they’ll never launch the helicarriers”, you say trying to be optimistic.

He huffs a reply before continuing walking. You were at the Smithsonian walking through the Howling Commandos exhibit. Steve liked to come here anytime he felt stressed or overwhelmed. Deciding to change the topic you joke, “Were you really 5’4” before the serum?” bumping his elbow with yours. He laughs and confirms that he was. You smile, looking up at the Howling Commandos uniforms and the portrait behind the mannequins. Stopping in front of the mannequin that wore a blue jacket and brown pants, ‘James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes’ it reads. Steve has told you so much about his best friend and you could tell he still felt guilt for not being able to save him on that train. You ponder what he would have been like if you met him today, you slightly shake your head at the thought, remembering what Steve once told you.

“Y’know, anytime I imagined the future, back in the 40’s, and what would become of me and Bucky. I always thought he’d end up with a dame like you.” Steve told you one night in your shared apartment. It was odd to hear him talk about Bucky this way and that he thought you two would’ve been a good match. Since that night you haven’t quite been able to think of Steve’s best friend the same way.

* * *

After leaving the museum, Steve asked if we could stop by the VA. Not thinking anything of it, you agree. We walk into a room with a dark man talking to a group of Veterans about the troubles of dealing with the aftermath of everything they’ve seen. We stick around once the meeting is over and Steve introduces the man as Sam Wilson. He was very polite and thanked you for what the Avenger’s did in New York. You smile back and say it’s your job and thank him for his service protecting our country.

We continue talking with the man for a about an hour before we head back home. As we get to our floor, I see our pretty neighbor leaving her apartment, laundry basket under her arm. I tell Steve that I left something down in the car and I’ll catch up with him. After a few minutes of walking around giving the two some time to talk, with the hopes of Steve finally asking her out; I head back up the stairs and hear her tell Steve, “I think you left your stereo on”. This immediately puts you on edge. You and Steve never leave anything on by accident.

Walking behind Steve, entering the apartment we see it pitch black. Entering the living room, we come face to face with Fury. You turn on the light and see that he has a few cuts and bruises on his face. Something was definitely wrong. Fury turns the light back off and begins to talk nonsense while showing us a message on his phone saying, ‘SHIELD compromised’. Before we can react, he is shot through the wall of the apartment, falling to the ground. Before he loses consciousness, he hands Steve a flash drive and tells us not to trust anyone. Our neighbor, Kate, runs into the apartment gun held high. She is apparently SHIELD; sent to watch Steve—Seriously?! Another one? — after calling in the attack, I hear Steve say, “I’m in pursuit”, as he runs out the door, grabbing his shield on the way out.

Running after him, we make our way to the roof where Steve, throws his shield at the man dressed head to toe in black, a mask covering the lower portion of his face. Caught off guard by what happens next. The man catches the shield— is that even possible? —and throws it back at Steve.

Running up to the man, I throw an energy wave at him. This causes him to stumble back a few inches but before I can act, he lunges at me, grabbing me by the neck with his left hand. Except its not a regular hand, it’s a metal one. I look up to the face of the man and see a pair of blue eyes, surrounded by black paint, starring back at me. I focus on his hand around my throat and heat the metal appendage until he hisses in pain and let’s go. Before I can get back up, he’s gone. Steve walks up to my side, making sure that I’m okay.

“Who the hell was that?”, I ask to no one in particular.

* * *

As we watch the surgeons operating on Fury, Natasha storms in, asking what happened.

“He’s fast. Strong. Had a metal arm”, Steve replies looking down.

Hill says that ballistics showed no casing and before she can finish her sentence, Nat cuts her off.

“Soviet made”.

I glance over at her, wondering how she could have known that. Looking back up to the operating room we all watch helplessly as Fury’s heartrate flat lines and he’s pronounced dead. I place my hand on Natasha’s shoulder, rubbing gently.

* * *

Keeping my voice low, “A vending machine? That was your brilliant idea?”, I shake my head as we make our way to Rumlow and his team that are tasked with escorting us back to the Triskillion. Before we leave the hospital, Rumlow looks over at me. “Pierce requests Captain Rogers only, Stark”. You roll your eyes, God how you hated Rumlow. You always got a bad vibe off of him.

“It’s okay, Y/N.”, you look up at Steve. “Stay here and I’ll be back in a little bit”, he finishes. You know what he’s telling you though. Guard the flash drive. You nod, heading back down the hallway to where you just were.

An hour later, you stand in front of the vending machine, pretending to contemplate what your selection will be.

“I trained you better than that, Kroshka”, you hear from behind you. As you turn around, Nat is staring at you with a disappointed look. She tilts her head, motioning you to follow her. “What’s going on?”, she asks you.

“You tell me”, you shoot back. “How did you know where the bullets were from?”

She sighs, “Remember how I said I was never able to beat the man who trained me?”. You nod as she continues, “He happened to have a metal arm... Most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists. The ones that do call him the ‘Winter Solider’. He’s credited with over two dozen assassinations over the last 50 years.”.

“Sounds like a ghost story”, Steve interjects as he walks in. You look him up and down, noticing the outfit he was wearing. This was not good. If Steve was dressed like this it must mean he was trying to blend in.

“Okay, we’ll get to this ghost story in a minute. I need some quarters”, you say, needing to get the drive.

* * *

You and Steve were walking around a mall, dressed like idiots, you might add, as Nat plugs the drive into a computer at the Apple store. “They’ll know our location in about nine minutes from… now”, she tells you over the comms.

“Are you sure we can trust her?”, Steve questions.

“Yes, I trust Nat with my life”, is your only reply.

Exactly eight minutes and forty seconds later we see Rumlow and his team on various floors of the mall. “I’ll be able to get out undetected, but you two need to blend in until you can get to an exit”, Nat tells you.

You’ve trained for this and know exactly how to avoid people from paying any attention to you… Steve is not going to like it. After successfully making your way to the escalator, you look down to see Rumlow headed back up to the second floor. He’ll be able to spot you if you don’t act quickly.

“Kiss me”, you tell Steve as you turn around.

“What?”, he asks.

“Displays of public affection make people feel very uncomfortable”.

“Yes, they do”, he tells you before you grab his face gently and bring it to yours. You kiss for about six seconds, looking up to see that Rumlow is now behind you.

“I feel like I just committed incest”, you laugh quietly as you turn around, walking down the steps.

“Me too. Let’s not do that ever again”, you hear his reply causing you to smile as you keep walking.

* * *

“Was that your first kiss since 1945?”, Nat teases.

“Nat leave him be”, you reply.

“I’m 95, not dead”. Is Steve’s only reply. We were on our way to New Jersey, where Steve did his training before the procedure that made him into Captain America. Nat took a photo of the location and showed us the image. He recognized it immediately.

* * *

Once you made it to the old military base, you made your way to one of the buildings that Steve said was out of place. You see photos lining the walls, one being your grandfather.

“I wonder what he was like. I never got to meet him, and my dad never liked to talk about him”, you say as you look over at his photo. You feel Steve walk up behind you and tell you that he was a great man, a little lost he always thought though.

Turning away, you see a hidden elevator. It was decided that Nat and Steve would go down and find out what was so important to hide here, while you kept a look out.

Minutes passed by when you see the quinjet shooting what looks to be a bogey. You try to get down to the duo, but the doors were locked. Hopefully, they will be alright as you create a forcefield around yourself. The debris falling was more than you could apparently handle as your shield gave way and you were buried under a pile of rubble. The last thing that you could remember was Steve pulling a pillar off of you as Nat pulled you out of where you had fallen. 

* * *

When you awoke, the sun was shining through the blinds. Looking around, you realized that you were lying on a comfortable bed. You get up and walk through the hallway, until you reached the stairs. Hearing Steve say, “Is this Riley?”. You make your way to the kitchen where you see Sam, Nat, and Steve. After they make sure you’re okay, you begin to form a plan on how to get Sam his wings from his days as a pararescue.

“See Falcon is a cool name!”, you pout.

* * *

After being thrown from Sam’s car and onto the pavement, you get up and begin shielding yourself from the bullets that were being shot at you by the Hydra agents. Steve was on the road below the highway where you, Nat, and Sam were.

You and Nat narrowly miss the grenade that way thrown your way but were now also at the lower level. Seeing the Soldier’s shadow on the ground Nat shoots at him, hitting her intended mark. He disappears from view before popping back up, unloading bullets in your direction. You managed to redirect his bullets to other Hydra agents that surrounded him.

You both begin to run, as you look behind you to see the asset following. You both split up, silently working out a plan together. You lure the assassin with your voice as you hide behind a car and he reacts just the way you thought. Rolling a grenade in your direction, you absorb the energy from the blast; just as Nat jumps on him, trying to strangle him with a wire.

He manages to fling her off of him and aims his gun at her. Before he can shoot, you jump into action, kicking the gun out of his hand and effectively knocking his feet out from underneath him. He then kicks at your feet, knocking you off balance, about to punch you with his metal fist, when Nat throws once of her taser disks at his arm. This was enough for you to get up and run in the opposite direction. You hide behind a car, just in time to see Nat get shot in the shoulder.

“Nat!”, you yell. Big mistake. The solider looks at you ready to fire again, only this time at you.

That’s when Steve runs at the solider with his shield. A fight ensues between the two as you rush to Nat to apply pressure to her wound. She tells you that she’ll be fine and to help Steve. You nod, running over to where Steve just threw the solider over his shoulder, knocking his mask off.

When he turns around, you see his face clearly for the first time. You feel Steve freeze next to you.

“Bucky?”

“Who the hell is Bucky?”

* * *

“Whoever he is now, he’s not the kind you save. He’s the kind you stop”, Sam tells Steve as he walks up to where we’re standing, looking down at the dam.

“That’s not entirely true. He recognized Steve. He hesitated.”, you say looking over at Steve. “Bucky may still be in there somewhere”.

“I guess we’re about to find out”, is all Steve says.

* * *

“Alpha lock”, you state as you replace the chip.

Within a few minutes you hear Sam reply, “Bravo lock”.

You smile as you head to the third helicarrier. With these two done, all Hydra operative will head to the final one to stop us from replacing the chip. Sam picks you up as you head to Steve’s location. Once on the helicarrier, Sam is knocked off by the asset, effectively destroying his suit. He then heads for you.

You manage to hold him off for a few minutes, until he grabs you by the throat, lifting you off the ground. You once again focus on heating his arm, but he’s aware of his ability now. He grabs your throat tighter, cutting off your airway. You can’t think of anything else to do, so you go with a last Hail Mary.

“Bucky, this isn’t who you are”, you manage to get out. He gives you a confused look, but you pay attention to his eyes. The last time you were in this position, he had a glazed-over look, but it disappears for a moment. He lets you go. You cough, trying to catch your breath and look up at him. He seems confused, but before you can do anything, he kicks you off of the helicarrier.

You managed to hold on and climb your way back up to where you just were. You needed to get to Steve. When you got to the panel that housed the chip you were trying to replace, you see Steve climbing up from the area below the panel. You make your way to him, but before you can get to him you see him fall to the ground as you hear a gun being fired. Looking down, you see bucky with a pistol in his hand, smiling victoriously.

“Steve?” He doesn’t respond, only hands you the last chip to be replaced.

“Finish it”, he tells you.

After replacing it you tell Hill, “Charlie lock… Fire now.”. She tries to argue, but you tell her to do it now! You begin to see the helicarriers firing at one another and debris start to fall all around you. “Steve, we need to go”.

“Get out of here!”, he yells at you. Looking down you see Bucky is pinned beneath a pillar.

“No! not without you!”, you yell back.

“I can’t leave him”, Steve tells you, jumping down to help his best friend.

You nod, jumping down to where he’s pinned and help Steve move the pillar. He manages to get free and immediately starts attacking Steve. You try to intervene, but Steve tells you to stay put. You watch on as Steve tells Bucky facts about himself, until Bucky tackles him to the ground. Hitting him repeatedly, as he yells that he’s his mission.

“Then finish it… Cause I’m with you till the end of the line”, you hear Steve say before he falls into the river below.

“Steve!”, you scream. You immediately jump down to rescue him, but a piece of falling debris hits you and you become disoriented as you hit the water. You feel an arm wrap around your waist and the next thing you know you’re on the shore, Steve next to you.

After checking to see that he’s breathing, you look up to see Bucky staring down at you.

“You saved us.”

You get no reaction. He just stares down at you, glancing at Steve before he turns his back and walks away.

* * *

“Careful Steve, you might not want to pull on that thread”, Nat tells him as she hands him a file before walking off.

“We’re going after him?”, Sam questions.

Steve nods.

“When do we start?”, you say.

“We just did”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay don't judge the name... I wasn't entirely sure what to have our main character's super hero name. Aegis was referred to as a shield or protector in Greek mythology, normally associated with Zeus and Athena. If you have any better suggestions, let me know! The next few chapter will be in between CA:TWS and CA:CW, this is where our love story begins to unfold.


	6. I Always thought He'd End Up With A Dame Like You

**May 2015**

“Sokovia is where you believe Hydra has the scepter?” you ask Steve.

“We believe so, it’s been a difficult year tracking it down, but Strucker has to be the one who has it”, Steve replies. “Any luck with our side mission?”, he then asks you quietly.

You hesitate, looking around the dingy apartment you were currently occupying. “No, just another dead end”, you pause before continuing, “I’m sorry Steve”.

“Don’t be. I know you’re doing the best you can. Okay, I gotta go”, he replies. You share your goodbyes and hang up the phone. You sigh, getting up from the bed to look out the window. You’ve been on this supposed side mission ever since D.C., you weren’t sure how much longer you could keep this charade going.

You were lost in your thoughts when you felt a pair of arms encircle your waist. You lean back into the firm chest behind you. “I can’t keep lying to him… to all of them really”, you whisper.

“I know, but I’m not ready to go back”, Bucky replies as he leans down and places a kiss on your shoulder. “I need to know that the Solider is gone, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to go back after everything that I’ve done”.

“Buck, we’ve been over this. What you did all those years is not your fault. It’s Hydra’s”, you reply, turning around so that your chests were touching. You put your arms around the back of his neck, pulling him closer to you. Instead of answering, he brings his metal hand to your cheek, brushing over it softly. He lowers his head until your lips lightly brush with his.

“I just need more time, Y/N”, he whispers before kissing you again.

* * *

**October 2014**

You’ve been on this ridiculous assignment for six months; Bucky clearly didn’t want to be found. After deciding to join Steve’s quest to find Bucky, you and Sam split up the groundwork; he would cover the potential areas in the United States, while you would check into the areas over in Europe. You were somewhere in the middle of Budapest, giving up for the day. You were walking back to your hotel when you spotted a small produce market. Deciding to look around, you stopped by the apple booth to pick some up. While trying to decide between three or four apples, you look up to the next booth over. A tall man wearing a hat and jacket was picking up some plums. You can’t understand what made you pay attention to him, but you did. When he went to pay the clerk, his jacket sleeve moved up his arm, revealing a glint of silver for only a millisecond before he pushed it back down his arm. Looking up to see if anyone noticed, you put your head back down, pretending to inspect some apples. After some time, you look back up and see him walking down the sidewalk away from the market. Apples forgotten, you slowly walk after him, keeping a safe distance so he wouldn’t get spooked. You followed him for about 15 minutes before he turned down an alleyway between two buildings. You follow after him, but when you turned down the alley, he was gone. You look around wondering how you could’ve lost him.

Before you know it, you’re being pushed up against a wall, two hands, one metal, holding your arms on either side of you. Clear, blue eyes looking at you accusingly.

“Why are you following me?” a gruff voice demands.

You stare back at him, “Do you remember me? You pulled me from the river. You saved my life”.

He hesitates for a moment, his grasp loosening from your arms. You could easily get out of his hold if you wanted to, but you thought better of it. He needed to know that you weren’t a threat to him.

“Why are you following me?”, he repeats his question from earlier, softer this time.

“Steve wanted to find you. He sent me to look for you”, you tell him honestly.

He thinks this over for a moment, “He’s better off without me; everyone is”, he tells you as he lets go of you and takes a step back.

You pause for a moment before you come to a decision. “I won’t tell him that I found you… not until you’re ready”, you try to reason with him.

He looks over at you, “Why would you do that?”

You take a hesitant step forward, looking him in the eye. “Because you need to know that you can trust someone; that you don’t have to be alone anymore”.

He stares at you, looking for any sign of dishonesty. After about a minute, he simply turns his back and begins to walk away. You sigh at your evident failure. He gets about ten feet away, when he turns around stating, “My safehouse isn’t far from here, it’ll be safer to talk there”.

* * *

**March 2015**

Dubrovnik was such a beautiful city; you loved the views of the ocean. Walking back to the apartment you were renting, with a bag of groceries in your hand. Opening the door, you set the bag on the kitchen counter calling out, “Buck, I’m here”. You learned after your first few days together, it was better to announce yourself. That way Bucky didn’t panic.

Since Budapest, you and Bucky have been staying in the same apartment, trying to help him remember as much as he could. You have been telling him stories that Steve has told you and recommended that he start writing down any memories that surface into a journal. It would help him piece together his life before Hydra and hopefully aid in moving on after everything he endured during his time with them.

Bucky comes out of the bedroom he was currently occupying, a small smile on his face as he looks at you. It took some time, but Bucky began to trust you after spending the first few months together. Together, you were able to keep him under the radar from anyone who was looking for him. You kept your promise and have been telling Steve that you were on another lead that would ultimately not yield any results. You didn’t like lying to him, but you thought this was the easiest way to bring Bucky back. Steve would understand that, right?

“Hey, I got you some more plums and I picked up some fresh salmon. I did some research and it said that cold water fish help boost memory function in seniors. I thought it was worth a try”, you say as you begin unloading the groceries. When you didn’t hear a response, you turned around only to find Bucky already looking at you, an unfamiliar facial expression on his features. “Buck, you okay?”, you ask, slowly walking towards him.

“Yeah. I’m fine”, he says quietly, avoiding your eyes as he turns and heads back to his bedroom.

* * *

Later that night, after finishing up the salmon you bought earlier that day, you and buck were sitting in the living room on the couch. It was a routine you two formed early on in your arrangement. You would make dinner and afterwards you would talk. He would tell you something he remembered about his past—both pre and post Hydra—or you would tell him one of the many stories Steve told you. Tonight, was different though; Bucky wanted to know more about you.

You told him about your time at school, with SHIELD, the Avengers, and your parents. He seemed very interested in everything you told him. Before tonight, he only knew what you told him about yourself that first night in Budapest; which was mainly about your relationship with Steve and how you had your abilities- you gave him the abbreviated version, one that didn’t involve your mother.

“So, you’re a demigod?” he asks you as he brings you the cup of tea he made for you both.

“Yeah, I guess that’s one way to put it”, you laugh taking a sip of the hot beverage. It surprised you that he made it perfect, just the way you like it.

He pauses, deep in thought, as he sits down next to you. “So, Howard was your grandfather?”

“Yeah, did you know him?”, you ask, intrigued.

“Not really. Mainly just what Steve told me about him”, he replies, looking down. After a few minutes of silence, he speaks again, “Y/N, there’s something you need to know about me…”

Before he can finish what he was going to say you cut him off, “If it has anything to do with your time at Hydra, it doesn’t matter. That wasn’t you, Bucky; I’m only interested in who you are now, not who those assholes made you be”.

He looks up at you, meeting your eyes. You can’t quite decipher the look he has while staring at you. You give him a reassuring smile and take his hand that was resting on his knee. “I mean it Bucky”, you tell him quietly.

As quickly as the moment happened, it was over. Bucky looked away as he stood up and moved across the room to where the window was, effectively removing your hand from his. You tried to ignore the lump that formed in your throat at his eagerness to clearly get away from you. You must have made him uncomfortable, crossing the line of your delicate… friendship?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable”, you apologize softly, looking down at your hands. You really didn’t, it was just hard to control yourself around him sometimes. You think back to what Steve told you so long ago, _‘I always thought he’d end up with a dame like you’_. The past few months you spent with Bucky; you could see what Steve meant. Getting to know him, you realized that you always thought you’d end up with someone like Bucky as well. You scold yourself at the thought; you were here to help him and Steve, not to embark on some teenage girl’s fantasy of true love.

“Its not that Y/N, trust me. I just know that I’ve never done anything in my life to deserve the kindness that you continue to show me”, he says, still looking out the window. “I mean here I am, trying to put all the pieces of my fucked-up life back together again; and you, out of the love you have for Steve, are helping me”.

You open your mouth to argue that that’s not the only reason you are helping him, but his next sentence shuts you up before you had a chance to say anything.

“I mean you are so selfless, and instead of focusing on getting my memories back; here I am, not wanting to make anymore progress because I don’t want to stop being around you”, he huffs, looking down to his feet. “I mean that’s the goal, right? I get back to the old Bucky, you deliver me to Steve and go about with your life like none of this ever happened!”

You don’t know what to say to his outburst; so, you decide to act. Standing up and walking over to him, you place your hands on each of his broad shoulders, turning him until he’s looking at you. “I promise that I will never leave you”, you tell him, conviction filling your voice. “I care about you, Bucky. So much”, you finish, looking into his steel blue eyes.

He stares back at you, his eyes briefly glancing to your lips. Slowly, he lowers his head as you lift yours; your lips meet his in a tender kiss, hesitant at first. He pulls away briefly, his hand coming up to the side of your neck, pulling your lips to meet his once again. The kiss this time isn’t hesitant at all, as his tongue enters your mouth; you oblige giving him access and meet his tongue with your own. Bucky’s hand moves from your neck down to your waist where his other one was resting. The tender kiss, quickly becomes hurried as Bucky turns and pins you to the wall, still kissing you hungrily. You moan into his mouth as he picks you up and you wrap your legs around his waist. He moves from the wall and slowly walks to the bedroom, dropping you both onto his bed. You pull away from the kiss; worried he somehow offended you, Bucky looks down at you.

“I-I haven’t done this before…”, you tell him, hesitantly.

“We don’t have to if you’re not ready. I didn’t mean to push you”, he replies, understandingly.

“No, it’s not that at all. I’m just scared”, you tell him honestly.

“So am I”, is his reply.

You look up at him, as your hand brushes a stray hair that’s fallen onto his cheek. He gives you a sweet smile as you pull his face back down to yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is throughout the year from the end of CA:TWS to the beginning of A:AoU. Next chapter will be throughout the year from the end of A:AoU to the a certain part of CA:CW. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far!


	7. Changes

**May 2015**

“Ultron?! We scrapped that idea a long ass time ago, remember? The program was too unpredictable”, you say into the phone.

“Yeah… unpredictable is an understatement at this point”, you father tells you on a sigh. “He’s hell bent on making the Avengers extinct. He destroyed JARVIS”

You sigh, knowing how important JARVIS was to your family. “Extinct? Well he’s definitely got a flare for the dramatics. No doubt in my mind you created him” you shoot at him, an edge of annoyance in your tone. “Tell me more about these two enhanced that were in Sokovia.”

“They’re twins, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. The basics? He’s fast and she’s weird”

“Weird? Like me?”

“Apparently, her abilities are more neuroelectric interfacing, telekinesis and mental manipulation. She might be able to give you a run for your money, firecracker”, he finishes with a forced upbeat tone trying to lighten the mood.

“Finally, I could use a good challenge. Give me two days; I’ll meet you at the Tower”, you say as you look over at Bucky who was listening next to you.

“Listen, Y/N. I want you to sit this one out”, you hear Tony reply. This was something you were not expecting.

“What do you mean? With these two enhanced in the mix, you’ll need me now more than ever”, you pause for a moment. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Sighing, he begins to explain. “That little witch got into my mind. Made me see things… Things that I’ll make damn sure never come true”, he finishes like a promise. To you or himself, you weren’t sure though.

“Fine. I’ll stay by the sidelines, but if things go South, you let me know. Promise?”

“I Promise”.

* * *

You were laying in bed, Bucky behind you as he drew lazy circles on your exposed hip. You knew you should be back in New York, helping with Ultron, but you also didn’t want to leave Bucky alone. You sigh, turning to place a kiss on his lips before getting up, taking the sheet to clothe yourself, and walked to the window. Since you two became an item two months ago, you’ve moved to Vienna; Bucky was still piecing together his life but has made so much progress over the last eight months since you found him back in Budapest.

“Y/N talk to me”, you hear him get up from the bed, as he walks over to you.

“I’m fine Buck, really”, You say not looking over at him. “I just feel like I’m ignoring my duty as an Avenger. When my father told me to stay put, I felt… relieved. I feel like I’m picking you over them”, you finish.

His metal hand comes to your chin, lifting it so you’re looking at him. “Who says you have to choose?”, he tells you sincerely. “Avenging. Us. No one is saying that you can’t have both”, pausing for only a moment before he seemingly comes to a decision, he continues, “Y/N, I love you”.

Your breath catches in your throat, “I love you too”, you say as tears begin to pool in your eyes. He moves a step closer to you, as he gives you a loving kiss. Placing your hands on his bare chest, you return the kiss with a passion that you felt would consume you if you let it. And oh, how you sometimes wanted it to. You’ve never felt this way about anyone before; never thought it possible for you to feel this deeply. You would sacrifice almost anything for Bucky, and you knew he would do the same for you.

* * *

“I’m on my way”, you tell Fury. “Sokovia? Okay, got it”.

You hang up the phone and glance over at Bucky, a worried expression on his face.

“I’m coming with you”, he states, simply.

“No, you’re not”, you tell him, no room for discussion in your tone. “You need to stay here; I need to know you’re safe. Ultron has an army and a grudge against my team; we’re his target, not you. Please, Bucky. I’ll come back to you; I promise”.

* * *

“This is the best I can do. This is exactly what I wanted. All of me against all of you. How do you expect to beat me?”, you hear Ultron announce from your vantage point on a nearby rooftop.

“Like the old man said, together”, you hear your father respond. You took this as your que, jumping down between Ultron’s army and your team, with the addition of the twins and Vision, and send an energy wave destroying over a dozen robots. You run over to where your team is guarding the core.

“What happened to calling me if things go South?”, you jibe.

“Minor road bumps is all... nothing to sweat”, you father replies. “It’s good to see you firecracker. You ready to kick some ass?”

You smirk, “Born ready”.

* * *

After holding off Ultron’s attack, the team splits up.

“What about the core?”, Clint asks Steve.

“I’ll protect it. It’s my job”, you hear Wanda say.

“Y/N watch her back. You two will be the most effective at ensuring none of those things gets to that switch”, Steve says to you before running off, Clint and Nat following after him.

You nod your head. “I’m Y/N, by the way”, you tell the twins. They acknowledge your introduction and return the sentiment by telling you their names.

You keep your focus on any incoming attacks as you watch the siblings banter back and forth. The interaction makes you smile, you always wished you had a sibling growing up. You could tell that they meant everything to each other.

* * *

Watching Wanda yank the core out of Ultron’s body after realizing that her brother died protecting Clint, was one of the most heartbreaking things you’ve ever seen. She was crying as she dropped the core to the ground, her body following it. You hesitantly walk up to her, placing your hand on her knee as you bent down to be at eye level with her.

“Wanda, we need to go. Your brother would’ve wanted you to be safe before the city blows”, you tell her quietly. She looks up at you, unshed tear falling onto her cheeks.

“How am I supposed to go on without him?”, she asks you quietly.

Not sure how to respond, you sigh. Vision apparently saw where you two were and grabbed Wanda, flying off; telling you that Thor was by the core. You run over just as he lights up the core. He grabs you and flies away before the city is evaporated.

* * *

“So, you and Banner huh?”, you question as you walk up behind Nat who was looking at a bare wall of the new compound, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

“Not sure what we are at this point”, she tells you honestly. Turning around, she looks at you as Steve walks in.

“We’re starting to train the new team, you both ready?”, he says as he glances between the two of you. Nat excuses herself to give you and Steve a minute.

“Look Steve, with Sam joining the Avengers; I’m gonna continue on looking for Bucky”, you lie to him.

“Y/N, I appreciate your dedication to this cause but its been a year. I don’t think he wants to be found”, he says looking at you thoughtfully.

“Maybe, but who knows. Maybe he just needs some time”, you tell him honestly.

“Yeah, maybe”, is his only reply. 

“You have a good team here; let me continue the search”

He reluctantly agrees, albeit a little suspicious of your determination to return to Europe.

* * *

**April 2016**

“What do you mean you’re taking a break?”, you question.

“Well, she is. After the whole ‘Mandarin’ thing, she’s not sure if she wants anything more to do with the life that comes with being in a relationship with a superhero”, you father says solemnly. “She did want me to tell you that, whatever happens with us; she will always be there for you”.

You’re not sure what to make of the news; you always thought that Pepper and your father were the real deal. You continue to talk for a few more minutes before you say your goodbyes.

“Everything okay?”, Bucky asks.

You shrug and just tell him that your father was going through a rough time. He simply nods. As he does, you notice how his hair has grown longer over the last few months. You remember how he got it cut short a few months after you returned from Sokovia. When you questioned him about it, he simply just told you he wanted to make a few changes. You remember, fondly how the rest of that story played out.

The last year was undoubtedly the best year of your life. You and Bucky continued to move around, visiting places that were easy to blend in as well as easy to disappear if the need should arise. The places were also beautiful to stay in for the few short months you were there. It was amazing experiences; although, you felt like the company you had with you contributed greatly in your opinions of the places.

“Have you given any more thought to returning to the states?”, you ask him, expecting to hear the same answer he’s given you so many times before.

“Yeah I have. I still need to make sure that there’s no way to trigger the solider, but I’m thinking maybe around Christmas”, he tells you.

You immediately feel ecstatic at the thought of coming clean to your family and team and finally beginning your life with Bucky. You rush over to him and tackle him with a hug as he falls to the bed, a laugh escaping out of him. This was the best thing he has ever told you… well, second best. You knew there would be a grace period for everyone to come to terms with you lying to them for almost two years, but that was understandable. You were excited at the thought of what the future holds for you.

* * *

**May 2016**

“They want all of us to sign?”, you ask worriedly.

“Yeah, they think that we need to be put into check”, Nat tells you over the phone.

“I’m not sure how I feel about government agencies having a say in what we do or not. I mean look at what happened with SHIELD and Hydra”, you explain.

“I get it, I really do”, she pauses for a moment, “But us staying together is more important than how we stay together”.

“I’ll have to think it over”, you tell her after contemplating the decision.

“Okay, I’m headed to Vienna in a few days where we’ll publicly sign the accords”.

“Who all has decided to sign?”

“Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Wanda and myself”, she tells you.

“What about Clint? Sam? Steve?”

“Clint says he’s retired. TBD for the other two”, she answers.

After hanging up the phone, you sit in silence next to Bucky. This was bad; really bad.

* * *

You rush into the apartment you and Bucky had in Bucharest. Seeing the news article that the UN had been bombed by the Winter Solider made you drop everything and return home. You expected to see Bucky, but you weren’t prepared for the shocked and disapproving look you were met with in the form of one Steven Grant Rogers.

“I see you found him”, is all he says.

“Steve, I can explain”, you say quickly as Bucky moves in front of you, a small bouquet of flowers still in his hand, partly shielding you from Steve’s harsh stare.

A few moments of silence pass as Steve looks from you to Bucky and back again. “Are you two together?”, Steve asks, trying to make sense of the situation he stumbled upon.

Sighing as you fidget with the simple silver band on your left hand, you decide to come clean. “We’re married”, you tell him right before the glass windows of the apartment shatter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun Dun Dun! The next few chapters will be the events that take place in CA:CW. I hope y'all are ready for this!


	8. The Sokovia Accords

“Congratulations, Cap. You’re a criminal”, Rhodey says to Steve as soldiers surround you. You watch helplessly as your husband is forced to the ground. Swallowing thickly as you turn to face your uncle. “Out of all the people I expected to find helping Steve, you weren’t one of them Y/N”. Not knowing how to respond, you cast your eyes to the ground. When you look up again, you turn your attention to the unknown man who seemed hell bent on killing your husband.

You watch him as the soldiers take your hands behind your back and place a set of cuffs onto your wrists. It’s at this moment, he removes his helmet after retracking his claws. You’re met with a dark set of eyes only sparing you a short glance before returning to your husband’s figure, a determined look on his features. Not only were 117 countries after Bucky now, but someone who had a stronger motive than anyone else, Prince—King now, you supposed—T’Challa.

* * *

“Steve, let me explain”, you say softly. You were on the way to Berlin; where you could only assume, you were to be held and later prosecuted. You’ve been in this van, a foot from Steve, who hasn’t spared you a glance since he sat down next to you, for the past hour.

“What’s there to explain? You’ve been lying to me for the past two years… The situation seems crystal clear to me”, he shoots at you, still looking straight ahead.

You sigh, out of all the ways you imagined this moment, this definitely wasn’t on the list. Being arrested for protecting your husband, along with Sam and Steve, after he was wrongfully blamed for bombing the U.N., which resulted in numerous people injured and the leader of a reclusive country dead. Yeah, for some reason this scenario never crossed your mind.

“How long?” he asks, finally looking at you.

You bite your lower lip, knowing he’s not going to like the answer, before you begin your explanation, “I found him six months after I left the states, in Budapest. I promised him that I wouldn’t tell you, until he was ready. I’ve been with him ever since, helping him remember who he was before Hydra”, you tell him honestly.

“Six months?”, he huffs. “I knew you were hiding something when you were so adamant about continuing the search after Ultron. I should’ve known.”, he pauses for only a moment before continuing. “And how long have you been married?”, he asks, keeping his voice down.

“I’m sorry, what? You two are married?!”, you hear Sam quietly exclaim from the seat behind yours.

Ignoring his outburst, you answer Steve. “Almost eight months”, you say quietly. “After Ultron, not knowing if I was going to survive, he decided that he didn’t ever want to live without me”, you pause briefly. “And I knew that I never wanted to live without him either. He proposed a few months after I returned, and we eloped shortly afterwards”.

Steve, apparently lost for words at this admission, remains quiet. Sam, seemingly wanting to break the newfound tension in the vehicle, decides to change to subject.

“So, you like cats?”

* * *

“No, Romania was not accords-sanctioned. Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup. Consequences? You bet there will be consequences. Obviously, you can quote me on that because I just said it. Anything else?”, you watch your father as he paces while on the phone. Hanging up, he looks at Sam, then Steve, before finally landing his gaze on you.

“Consequences?”, Steve questions.

“Secretary Ross wants you three prosecuted. Had to give him something”, is his only reply. His eyes never wandering from you as he begins to walk backwards.

“I’m not getting that shield back, am I?”

“Technically it’s the government’s property”, Nat shoots over her shoulder as she walks ahead of you, “Wings too”.

“That’s cold”, Sam replies with a shake of his head.

Your father, turning around as he continues to walk next to Nat, replies, “Warmer than jail”.

As you five walk up to where multiple screens are showing Bucky, being held inside a glass container, your father finally addresses you. “We need to talk”. Looking over at Steve, he continues. “All three of us”.

* * *

After silently watching your father and Steve argue back and forth over whether the accords are the proper course of action for the Avengers, you were left alone in the room with your father.

“You want to tell me what the hell you were doing in Romania?”, he questions you, still agitated from his argument with Steve.

“Would you believe that I just so happen to be in the area?”, you try to joke. Your father apparently misplaced his sense of humor for the day.

“This is no laughing matter, firecracker. What the fuck is going on with you?” he scolds. “You’re smarter than this. Almost the entire world wants to see Barnes’s head on a spike, and you decide now that you just don’t give a shit? That you’ll risk being locked up, God knows where, to protect Cap’s old war buddy? Someone you don’t even know?!” he shakes his head, furiously at the thought as he storms out of his chair to one of the glass walls of the room.

“Dad—”, you begin, but before you can continue, he cuts you off.

“You’re all that I have. I can’t lose you; I don’t think I’ll survive if I do”, he finishes, desperate for you to understand, as he puts his head down, not meeting your eyes.

You get up out of your own chair, slowly walking to where your father was standing. “You won’t lose me, I promise.”, you tell him as you turn him to face you. “But you have to believe me when I tell you that Bucky didn’t do this”.

He gives you a questioning look at your reference to your husband. “Bucky? What the hell Y/N? What aren’t you telling me? I can’t protect you if you’re not honest with me”.

You pray that your father will understand. “I’m not protecting Steve’s best friend. I’m protecting my husband, dad”.

You receive a shocked expression before the power in the building crashes and you’re surrounded by flashing red lights.

* * *

You watch on as your father rushes to where your husband is, although he’s not your husband at the moment. You spring into action as your father manages to stop a bullet, fired by the soldier, aimed directly at his head. You send an energy wave at the solider after he hurtles your father damn near across the room. You watch as he gets up from where you launched him, turning to face your direction. You lunge at him, knowing his exact moves—a few months after becoming a couple, Bucky trained you to best him. He wanted to make sure you could subdue him, if the solider ever surfaced. You hold him off, even managing to wrap your legs around his head as you were repeatedly hitting him, trying to render him unconscious. He slams you against a nearby table, metal hand around your throat, when T’Challa intervenes.

It takes you a minute to catch your breath. When you do, you follow as he escapes from the King of Wakanda’s pursuit. You slowly follow him up to the roof as he boards a helicopter. You run over to stop him from taking off, when you see Steve run over, holding onto the leg of the chopper. You watch on as the aircraft crashes onto the roof and then as Steve and Bucky fall into the water below. Diving in after them, you manage to find Steve supporting an unconscious Bucky as you both swim to land.

* * *

“This really isn’t necessary. Knocking him unconscious allows Bucky to regain control”, you say as you watch your husband’s limp form, his arm held in place.

“It’s just a precaution”, Steve tells you.

Sam walks up to where you two are standing to let you know that Bucky is awake. You rush over to him looking at the bruises that were starting to form on his face.

“Which Bucky am I talking to?”, you hear Steve question behind you.

“Your mother’s name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes”, Bucky replies, laughing a little at the memory.

“You can’t read that in a museum”.

* * *

After we caught Bucky up on what the solider did in Berlin as well as question him about the man that released the solider; Bucky told us about his time in Siberia and how Hydra once tried to create more Winter Soldiers back in the early 90’s. You sigh as you release his metal arm from its confines. Steve and Sam were whispering in a corner looking at the two of you.

As you examine his bruised cheek, Bucky glances up at you. “Did I hurt you?”, he asks.

“Hey, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself”, you tell him, giving him a small smile.

He doesn’t return one, “Seriously, Doll. Did I?”

“No Buck, you didn’t. You could never hurt me”, you say as you rub his cheek tenderly. “Y’know, I think that counts as our first fight as a married couple”, you tell him trying to ease the tension. He lets out a small laugh as he looks at the ground.

“Hopefully, it’ll be our last”, he says, looking up at you as he brings his hand to cup the back of your neck before placing a gentle kiss on your lips. You return the gentle caress but pull away when you hear a throat being cleared. You glance up to find Steve, looking at the two of you, a small smile on his lips at the scene he just witnessed.

“We have a plan”

* * *

“Wow, it’s so weird how you run into people at the airport. Don’t you think it’s weird?”, your father says sarcastically as him and Rhodey block you and Steve from getting to the helicopter as a diversion.

“Definitely weird”, you hear your uncle reply back.

As Steve tries to reason, that the doctor who questioned Bucky is behind everything, you watch as Black Panther come into your line of vision. You listen as your father explains that he was running out of time to end this without permanent repercussions for everyone involved.

“Your judgement is askew. Both of you”, your father says as he looks at the two of you. “Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday. Whether he bombed the U.N. or not, he has to pay for his actions”.

You don’t say anything about how your father did not mention your ties to Bucky, but only embellished on his relationship with Steve. Interesting.

“There are four more super soldiers just like him”, you begin to explain to everyone present. “We can’t let the doctor get to them first”.

“Kroshka, Steve.”, Nat says as she slowly approaches from your right. “You know what’s about to happen, do you really want to punch your way out of this?”, she tries to reason. This was about to get ugly, fast.

“I’ve run out of patience. Underoos!” your father hollers. As Steve’s hands are bound by some sort of webbing and his shield is taken by a figure dressed in blue and red, a spider on his chest.

“Keeping secrets from me dad?”, you shoot at him.

“Right back at ya, firecracker”, he quips, his eyes narrowing at you. He then turns to Steve, “I’m trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart”.

“You did that when you signed”, he shoots back at him.

“Steve”, you hiss at him. You needed to work this out peacefully as a team, fighting amongst yourselves was only going to make everything worse. “This isn’t the plan”, you tell him quietly.

“Plans change”, he replies, when you hear Sam over the comms, ‘ _We found it. The quinjet’s in hanger five. North runway_ ’, just as an arrow punctures through Steve’s bindings and Scott grabs Cap’s shield from the young boy, kicking him in the face as he does so.

“I believe this is yours Captain America”, he says, handing his shield back to him.

“Shit”, you say before heading to Nat’s location.

* * *

After a few scrimmages between various members on each team, you all reconvene as you run towards the quinjet. Well, you were until Vision stops you in your tracks.

“I know you believe what you’re doing is right, but for the collective good you must surrender now”.

You look over at your father, backed by: Nat, Rhodey, T’Challa, Spiderman, Wanda and Vision. Then to where you were standing, surrounded by: Steve, Clint, Sam, Scott and Bucky. The teams were too evenly matched. There was no way you could beat one another. As both sides begin to run at one another, you look for Wanda and Vision. The duo were the strongest on your father’s side. You had to do your best to keep them occupied. 

After the two teams collided, you managed to send Vision flying backwards, but had a red glowing ball sent hurtling in your direction. You dodged it but knowing that the glowing orb was filled with energy, you caught it before it hit anything and sent it flying back in Wanda’s direction, hitting your intended mark. She was knocked backwards, landing on her back; before you could properly knock her out, Vision was back. Tackling you to the ground. You managed to free yourself and tried to freeze him in place, hopefully damaging enough circuits so he wouldn’t be a problem, but not enough to cause permanent harm. He attempts to use the stone, attached to his forehead, to free himself. You managed to put up a shield before the blast hit you and while it knocked you a few feet back, you managed to continue to have a hold on him, until he fell to the ground.

You hear Wanda cry out his name, before lunging another wave of attacks at you. It was a balanced fight, you having the upper hand and then her having the upper hand and back again. It wasn’t until you managed to get her into a headlock, with the intent to cut off her airway until she passed out, that you were able to move to where Bucky was with Steve.

“We got to go. That guy’s probably in Siberia by now”, Bucky says

“We have to draw out the flyers. I’ll take Tony, you two get to the jet”, Steve replies.

“That’s just my dad and Rhodey now. Wanda and Vision are taken care of, but you two get to the jet, I’ll take care of my dad”, you tell them.

“She’s right. The rest of us aren’t getting out of here”, says Sam.

“I have to agree, in order for us to win this; some of us are going to have to lose it”, Clint agrees.

“I’m not leaving you”, Bucky says to you.

“I’ll be fine, Bucky. My father won’t let anything happen to me, and I’ll make sure that nothing bad happens to our team”, you tell both him and Steve. “Remember this isn’t the real fight”, you say.

After a few more minutes of discussion and a plan to form a diversion, Bucky reluctantly agrees and begins running off with Steve towards the hanger. You sigh as you watch Scott enlarge himself to cause a distraction; about to aid in keeping everyone busy you begin running over. It’s then that you hear the tower in front of the hanger, that’s housing the quinjet, begin to topple over. You look over to see a weak Vision, using the stone to try and stop Steve and Bucky’s escape. You managed to create a forcefield, holding off the falling tower long enough to allow them access before letting it fall, effectively cutting off anyone’s path who planned to follow.

* * *

As you ran to where your father was located, you witnessed the repercussions of your team fighting one another. A wounded Vision was holding a comatose Wanda, the kid was laying on his back on the ground, Scott was passed out, Clint was kneeling out of breath, and Sam was unconscious a few feet away from your father. When you reached him, you saw him supporting your uncle’s seemingly lifeless body. Sensing your arrival, he looks up at you, tears in his eyes.

My God, what have you all done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just a few clarifying sidenotes. 
> 
> 1.) Anything that isn't in this fic, remains true to MCU timeline (Events, Discussions, etc.)  
> 2.) Bucky was spotted in Bucharest buying flowers for our reader, not plums like in the movie. (This is the bouquet that he's holding when our reader enters the apartment in the last chapter)  
> 3.) When we get to the events of Infinity War, our POV will change to various other characters. This is due to Infinity War having so many characters and events happening that our reader cannot be present for all of them, but they are important to how our story will unfold.


	9. December 16, 1991

You watch silently as Rhodey is placed inside the MRI, listening as your father scolds Vision who claims he became distracted. You knew this was mostly on you, Vision was distracted because of what you did to Wanda-- watching the pair at the airport, you could tell that there was some kind of brewing romance between the two. Rhodey was chasing the quinjet, that you made sure took off with Steve and Bucky. The battle may not have been your fault, but what happened to your uncle was.

“You still believe that this is the best course of action?”, you father scolds you when he walks up to where you were standing.

“I never meant for anyone to get hurt. We were supposed to explain the situation peacefully; fighting was never the plan”, you say solemnly as you look up to the ceiling to stop your unshed tears from falling. After regaining your composure, you look towards the doorway to find Nat looking at the two of you.

You walk with your father, following Nat, to the hallway overlooking the greenway of the compound. You listen silently as your father explains Rhodey’s condition and when Nat tells him sternly that if the fighting continues, what happened to your uncle will be the best-case scenario.

“Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for one God damn second?”, she says looking at him with disgust.

You father lets out a small humorless laugh before saying, “T’Challa told Ross what you did, so they’re coming for you”.

This doesn’t seem to phase her, “I’m not the one who needs to watch their back”, she tells him, but her eyes glance at you. This warning wasn’t for your father; it was for you.

“Dad, you can’t let them do this”, you interject.

“She broke the Accords; these are the consequences. I shouldn’t even be giving her this notice”, he replies simply.

Nat turns around and begins to hastily walk off; you run after her and gently pull on her arm. “It doesn’t have to be this way”, you tell her.

“No, it doesn’t; but that doesn’t change how things are now. You were right, the Accords were a mistake”, she pauses as she gives you a tight hug. “Take care of yourself, Kroshka”, she whispers to you before pulling away and running down the hall.

You stand in the same spot that Nat just left as you watch her retreating form, when you feel your father place a hand on your shoulder.

“Secretary Ross wants to meet with you”, he says.

* * *

As you were on the way to an undisclosed location to meet Ross; FRIDAY briefs your father that a man named Helmut Zemo was the real man who bombed the U.N. and was the same man who released the Winter Solider in Berlin.

“I told you, that none of this was Bucky’s fault”, you say looking over at the files.

“I made a mistake. You know where they’re headed, we can fix this Firecracker”, He says earnestly.

“We will, after we meet with Ross”, you say as you look down to see a submerged vessel appear from under the crashing waves in the middle of the ocean. Once you landed and exited the helicopter, you were met with an older man wearing a smug face. He motions for you to follow him; you do as ordered, remaining silent.

As you walk into a room housing your teammates—each in individual cells—you audibly gasp.

“Miss Stark, you’re lucky you’re not in one of these cells. Since your father has vouched for you and you were not present in the meeting when I discussed the Sokovia Accords with the members of the Avengers; you are getting off with a technicality”, he says, his voice filled with superiority.

This sets you into a rage that you weren’t sure you could control. “It’s nice to see how you treat the people who have put there lives on the line multiple times to save this planet. Hell, Sam and Clint dedicated their lives to this country before joining the Avengers!”, you seethe at him.

“I would watch your tone, young lady. You wouldn’t want to be thrown into one of these cells like your buddies here, would you?”, he replies calmly motioning over at Sam, Clint and Scott.

“And who exactly would be able to subdue me? I’m an enhanced member of the Avengers! I’ve been trained by the most lethal assassins this world has ever seen. I am a demigod with unbelievable power who just also happens to be a genius. When I was arrested in Bucharest, I let them take me into custody. Would you like to find out what happens when I actually put up a fight? How many men would you sacrifice before realizing that you can’t control me?”, you say, venom lacing each of your words.

“I would choose your next words very carefully. You have no idea—“, he begins to say, but you cut him off.

“What? No idea what you’re capable of? That doesn’t really matter to me. Whatever you might be capable of, I know I’m capable of more. Take for instance, I can shut down your whole operation here and let my buddies walk free with a simple flick of my wrist”, you threaten with a small smile on your lips as you place your hand on one of the cell doors, the lights flickering on the entire ship to further emphasize your point.

You pause for a moment to let your threat sink in before you continue, the smile gone from your features. “You tore my team, **_my family_** , apart. You managed to annihilate me as an ally, I really don’t think it wise to make me your enemy. So, I would advise you, Mr. Secretary, to choose **_your_** next words very carefully”.

Ross remains quiet for a few minutes, knowing that you were right. He may have authority over the Avengers now, but he had to know that you wouldn’t—and more importantly, couldn’t-- be overpowered. “Get out of my sight Stark; both of you”, is his only reply as he turns and leaves the room.

You let the look of disgust fall off your features as you glance at your father and teammates. They all are giving you an astonished look for being able to invoke fear into the ruthless Secretary of State.

Before leaving the room, you look at Sam and mouth the words, ‘ _I will get you all out of here’_ , giving him a small smile while stealthily placing a small tracking devise on the doorframe of the entrance to the room. After boarding the helicopter and taking off your father finally speaks.

“You sure can be scary at times, Firecracker”, he quips trying to lighten your sour mood. “Come on, let’s go help Barnes and Noble”.

* * *

You were exiting the Iron Man suit your father let you wear to fly to the old Hydra compound in Siberia. Your father headed in once you landed, wearing his own suit, you followed where he entered a few minutes prior. You walked down hallways, until you heard voices.

“Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you’re killing me.”, you hear you father say.

“How do we know we can trust you?”, you hear Bucky reply, voice tense.

“I brought something—well someone-- that I know will keep the peace”, your father says as you reach the doorway.

You spot Bucky, with this gun rifle held high, he drops his guard once he sees you jog towards him as he begins his own run in your direction. You throw yourself into his arms, as he catches you easily, wrapping his mismatched appendages around you tightly. You feel him place a gentle kiss on your hair, causing you to look up at him, a relived expression on his face.

“Okay, father of the bride present in the room. Let’s keep everything PG”, you father exclaims jokingly in disgust with a tender smile on his face at how happy—and clearly in love—you look.

The four of you begin your walk through the compound with Bucky guiding you to where the other Winter Soldiers were held in cryo sleep. When you finally arrive in the room, you see that the soldiers are still in their pods, a bullet hole in each of their heads.

* * *

“An empire toppled by its enemies, can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That’s dead. Forever”, Zemo tells Steve as you notice a small computer screen set up. You follow as Steve and your father walk up to the screen; Bucky remains at a distance. You begin to watch an old surveillance video begin to play, showing an old road and a time and date stamp—December 16, 1991. Why did that date seem so familiar to you?

“I know that road. What is this?!”, Tony yells.

You watch the screen as a car comes into view, crashing into a tree. A man on a motorcycle stopping shortly afterwards. You watch as an older man crawls out of the car asking for the stranger to help his wife. When you hear the next words spoken on the video it, sends an ice-cold chill down your spine as tears begin to pool in your eyes.

‘ _Sergeant Barnes?_ ’, you hear the man question

A feminine voice exclaims, ‘ _Howard!_ ’, before the asset punches him twice with his metal limb, killing him instantly. You watch with horror as the solider places your grandfather back in the car and moves to the other side, choking the life from your grandmother.

This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be true!

You look up from the computer screen to look at first Bucky—shame filling his features, unshed tears in his eyes that were refusing to meet yours--, then Steve—who just watches Tony, waiting for his reaction--, and finally to your father—who had his own unshed tears in his eyes as he begins to lunge at your husband.

Steve holds him back, “Hey! Tony! It wasn’t him!”, he pleads.

You watch as your father slowly turns toward where you and Steve were standing. “Did you know?”, he asks quietly.

“I didn’t know it was him”, is Steve’s only reply. You slowly close your eyes; Steve really was a terrible liar.

“Don’t bullshit me Rogers! Did you know?”

“Yes”

You watch as your father physically recoils from Steve’s touch, as he looks to the side for a moment before the turns his attention to you. “Did you know?”, he questions you—pain evident in his voice and facial features.

You don’t know what to say as you lock eyes with your father. You lightly shake your head, opening and closing your mouth multiple times not sure how to respond. Your father keeps his eyes locked on yours as he slowly nods his head, seemingly coming to a decision. Everything that follows happens in the blink of an eye. Your father’s helmet is back in position as he hits Steve, sending him rolling a few feet away on the floor before he heads to where Bucky was standing.

Bucky aims his gun at your father when you yell, “Bucky, don’t!”, as you run in between the pair to keep the two most important people in your life from killing one another. You hear your father’s replusers charging up as Bucky pushes you out of the way, so you aren’t hit. You hit a pillar in the room, hard. You glance up from where you landed, vision becoming blurry, to see your father holding Bucky against one of the cryo pods. You try to call out to them before everything goes dark.

* * *

You wake up to the room in absolute disarray, concrete and metal all around you. You get up slowly and limp towards one of the exits. Following the path of destruction, you are led to a concrete room leading to the outside. When you reach it, you take in the scene before you in absolute horror. Steve has his shield embedded in your father’s arc reactor and Bucky is a few feet away from them, his metal arm missing.

Steve noticing your arrival, removes his shield and gets off of your father who is laying on the ground. Standing he walks over to where Bucky is and helps him up before both look over at you silently; your father sits up and also watches you. All eyes are trained on you as everyone remains frozen in place, watching you for your next move. 

A million memories run through your head as you look from the love of your life to your father who meant everything to you and back again.

_‘ **My** greatest creation will always be you’_

_‘I always thought he’d end up with a dame like you’_

_‘You’re all that I have. I can’t lose you; I don’t think I’ll survive if I do’_

_‘No one is saying that you can’t have both’_

_‘How am I supposed to go on without him?’_

_‘Who says you have to choose?’_

Fate apparently was very cruel. There was no other option now, a choice had to be made. Your choice. You continue to look between the two men you loved with all your heart before coming to a decision that would ultimately destroy one of them. You just hoped that he would forgive you one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, that cliffhanger doh! Please don't kill me... I try to keep my chapters between two and three thousand words, and if I kept on writing then it would be almost four thousand, so I thought what the hell! A little cliffhanger never hurt nobody. Next chapter will be up in the next day or two, so you won't have to wait that long. Please leave a comment on what you guys think and who you think our reader chose. Also leave kuddos if you haven't already, it really make me know that y'all really like the story!


	10. Aftermath

Sitting quietly on the quinjet as you wipe away yet another set of oncoming tears off of your cheeks, you think over the events that unfolded back in Siberia. You feel a set of eyes on you from across the jet, but you refuse to look at the man who they belong to. The choice that you made was the most difficult thing you’ve ever done, but you were left with no other alternative. Remembering the decision, breaks your heart all over again. You think about the look of pure anguish you received when realization dawned that you weren’t choosing him; an image that you desperately wish you could erase, but knowing that it will be engraved into your memory for the rest of your life. Staring at the floor, you hear a shuffle of feet as the man, who hasn’t taken his eyes off of you since you sat down, takes a seat next to you.

“I know that you want to be alone after what happened”, he says quietly, gently grabbing your hand with his before continuing. “I know that it wasn’t easy for you to choose me over him. I honestly thought I was going to lose you”, he finishes lowly.

Still refusing to meet his eyes, you let out a soft sob at the memory of what it was that you sacrificed today, before giving him your reply. “I told you; you’ll never lose me”, is all you say, removing your hand from underneath his and closing your eyes; hoping to drown out your sorrows with sleep.

_“Daddy! Come look!”, you squeal in delight. Your father squats down to where you were sitting and looks over your creation proudly._

_“My daughter is a genius, ladies and gentlemen!”, he exclaims loudly even though you were the only two in the room. “Only seven years old and can make a perfect 3D model of Glucose, out of Play-Doh none the less!”_

_He picks you up and spins you around as you giggle uncontrollably, flailing your arms in the air. Your laughter continues after your father pretends to crash land on the couch as he attacks you with tickles._

_“Daddy! Stop! I. Can’t. Breathe!”, you squeal out in between your giggles. He finally stops as he is also laughing uncontrollably, while pulling you closer to his side._

_~~~_

_Pulling you closer to his side, Bucky places a soft kiss to your temple._

_“I never thought I’d feel this way again”, he says quietly._

_You glance up at him from where you were laying next to him on the couch. “What way?”, you question._

_A small smile gracing his features as he looks down at you. “Happy”, he says simply._

_Smiling at his admission, you sit up until his lips are pressed firmly against your own as your hands move to his freshly cut short hair. “I love you”, you say after pulling away slightly._

_He hums lightly at this, looking deeply into your eyes. “Will you do something for me then?”, he asks._

_“Anything”, you reply instantly._

_Pausing for a moment, he takes your left hand into his before continuing, “Will you marry me?”_

Jolting awake, you look around the quinjet. Noticing you were once again left alone at the back of the plane; you willed the unbidden memories of the last few hours to go away. Closing your eyes, but to no avail, you once again relieved the most excruciating decision you ever made.

Taking one final look between the two most important men in your life, you make a silent prayer that he would be able to forgive you one day. With your mind made up, you begin slowly limping towards Bucky, who was still being held up by Steve. You refused to meet your father’s eyes, but you knew that he must have a look of utter betrayal and heartbreak on his face.

You let out a shaky exhale, before finally reaching your destination. “Are you okay?”

He gives you a small nod and smile that makes you fall in love with him all over again. You give him a slow, gentle kiss before pulling away, meeting his eyes.

“I love you, so much Bucky”, you say quietly as you take his arm that was around Steve’s neck and gently take his hand with both of yours. “Nothing has changed. I still believe that everything you did for Hydra wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you for what happened to my grandparents”, you tell him; your watery eyes never leaving his.

“I need you to know that none of this is your fault. I would sacrifice almost anything for you and our relationship”, taking a shuddering breath, your tears begin to fall as you place your wedding band into his palm. “But I’m all my father has, and I can’t lose him”, you explain closing his hand around the delicate silver that symbolized your marriage.

“I’m so sorry”, you finish quietly, fighting back the tears begging to be released, before removing your hands from his and handing him back to Steve. Grabbing Steve’s hand next, you place a small device in his hand and quietly tell him to help your friends. Letting go of his hand, you begin to slowly walk over to where your father was still crouched on the ground. You help him to his feet as he places his arm around your neck for support. You both glance over to where the pair of super soldiers were standing. Steve refused to meet either one of your eyes, but Bucky was looking directly at you. Despair covering his features as a single tear slips from the corner of his left eye. Steve begins to maneuver them to the exit, while Bucky’s gaze never leaves your figure.

“That shield doesn’t belong to you. You don’t deserve it!”, your father shouts accusingly at Steve’s retreating form. “My father made that shield!”, he yells finally, his voice breaking at the mention of your grandfather.

You watch as Steve pauses for a brief moment, before dropping his shield to the ground. They continue to walk before they turn a corner and are removed from your line of sight. You look over your father’s wounds, making sure nothing was too severe.

Your eyes open after the horrible memory once again replayed in your mind as a fresh set of tears begin to pool in your eyes. You take a deep breath, standing up as you wipe away the few tears that managed to fall onto your cheeks. Walking to the front of the jet, where your father was just sitting in the pilot seat, his head in his hands. You clear your throat to make your presence known. He looks up from his hands and gives you a small smile. You don’t return it.

“How far from the compound?”, you ask emotionlessly.

He just looks at you for a few moments before replying. “About an hour”, he says with a sigh. “Look, Firecracker… about what happened—”, he begins before you cut him off.

“There’s nothing to discuss; I made my decision. I told you, you won’t ever lose me”, you tell him, not once sparring him a glance as you continue to look out the window.

“Then why do I feel like I still lost you?”, he questions 

You don’t give him an answer, mostly because you don’t know how to answer him.

* * *

**December 2016**

You walk into the room, hesitantly. You weren’t entirely sure what to expect, given the last time you saw her you had your arm wrapped around her throat. You find her sitting on her bed, back turned to you, with Vision. You wait patiently for one of them to notice you; the android was the first to sense your arrival.

“Miss Stark, or do you go by Mrs. Barnes now? I’m not entirely sure if you decided to change your surname with your matrimony to Sergeant Barnes”, Vision politely asks—more out of curiosity than anything else.

You swallow the lump that formed in your throat at the mention of Bucky and your marriage—which was technically nonexistent now, you guessed. Your father must have disclosed the information of your secret wedding to the rest of the team, but evidently not the full details of what occurred in Siberia. “It’s Stark”, is all you say on the matter. “Can I have a minute with Wanda?”, you request, hastily changing the subject.

“I’m not entirely sure that would be appropriate—“, Vision begins before Wanda abruptly cuts him off.

“Want more do you want? You want to have another scrimmage? Or do you want to make more threats to U.S diplomats that are taken out on me?”, the brunette all but yells at you.

Giving her an apologetic look, you take a few minutes to choose your next words carefully. It’s true that since your threats to Ross as well as the infiltration of the Raft—and the freeing of everyone who was imprisoned there—there was talk of heavy repercussions for anyone who might have been involved. Not only was Ross probably looking for ways to take you into custody, but there were also rumors of other enhanced individuals being arrested for one main reason-- fear. Fear that was provoked by your rage and refusal to be dominated.

“It’s not fair to you, and I know that it’s all my fault”, you tell her as a sigh escapes you. You place a small package on her bed before looking up at her. “I’m leaving. I think that you should too, at least until everything calms down”, you motion at the envelope laying on her bed, “There’s money and new identities for you if you decide to leave. There’s also a phone, only one number programmed in it, if you need help”, you say giving her a small smile before turning to leave the room.

“Whose number?”, she questions curiously.

Looking back at her you say, “Someone who will never treat you like a weapon. Someone, I think you already know, who will protect you no matter what”.

She ponders this for a moment, before asking you one final question, “Where will you go?”

You give her a small smile before answering, “Somewhere I should’ve gone a long time ago”.

* * *

Driving back to the city, gave you time to think. Giving Wanda one of the two phones Steve had sent you and your father in case either of you needed him seemed like the right thing to do. Wanda would probably need his help while on the run and you were headed somewhere that a disposable phone wouldn’t do you any good. How the hell were you were planning to get to Asgard, again? I mean, Thor always said that Heimdall would open the Bifrost if you just called his name, as he watches over everything and everyone. Something in your gut told you that it wouldn’t be that simple though. It didn’t matter, you needed to get away from everything and going to another realm seemed like the perfect opportunity. Your thoughts wander to your father and how estranged your relationship had become since your return. He tried multiple times over the last few months to revive your old dynamic, but you couldn’t bring yourself to fall into old rhythms, not when everything was so different now. Every time you looked at him, you saw Bucky’s face in Siberia after you chose your father. You just needed time. You managed to explain all of this and more about why you made this decision in the letter you left for him on his desk. Sure, it was the coward’s way out, but you couldn’t bare the thought of actually saying the words you wrote to your father’s face. You couldn’t handle watching someone else you love suffer because--- WHAT THE FUCK?!

You slam on your breaks as a glowing yellow circle appears out of nowhere breaking you out of your thoughts. Where there once was a dark road in front of you, there was now a huge staircase in an older looking building. You exit the car and begin looking around your new surroundings when you see a man in a blue kimono tunic and a red cape floating at the top of the stairs.

“No need to worry, there’s no threat here Y/N Stark. My name is Dr. Stephen Strange; I need your help”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking longer than expected to get this chapter up. I'm gonna be honest I fucking hate this chapter. I've rewrote it like seven times and still don't like the results. I don't think I conveyed the emotions and heartache that I wanted to for everyone involved because everyone-- Reader, Bucky, Tony, Steve, etc.-- is broken after what happened. Let me know what you guys think-- and I apologize if you guys think it sucks (cause it does). Next few chapters will be Thor: Ragnarok, and I'll give you guys a little spoiler... we're gonna see a darker side to our reader and see the full effects that Civil War had on her.


	11. Daughters of Freya

Glancing around the room filled with antique-looking artifacts you could only assume were exceptionally important to these “Masters of the Mystic Arts”; you finally shift your gaze back to the man who was watching you intently.

“So, what exactly is so important that you needed to borderline abduct me?”, you question as you fold your arms over your chest. After arriving, Strange explained who he was and what he does along with other Master’s of this lost practice and how he was the guardian of the New York Sanctum, where you currently were located.

“Since being tasked with the protection of this Sanctum, and as a result, this city, I’ve been keeping a watch on any potential threats”, he explains.

Moving one hand to cover your mouth as a small laugh escapes from you, even though nothing about this situation was slightly funny to you. “I’m assuming you found one that’s out of your league, which is the only reason I can see why you would need my help”, you tell him, disdain filling your voice. “Sorry to disappoint; I’m no longer an Avenger and I have little interest in fighting the good fight anymore”, you say as you turn and begin walking towards the door.

“The threat is Loki”, he states simply to your retreating form.

This causes you to freeze mid-step, turning back around to look at him once more. “Loki is dead; has been for years”.

“I have on good authority that he’s quite alive. In fact, he’s been ruling Asgard impersonating the Allfather, Odin”, he says matter-of-factly.

“And what authority is that?”, you question him, annoyance beginning to seep into your voice.

“Odin himself. You see, he’s been right here in New York for the last few years. I found him in some old retirement home that’s supposed to be demolished in a few months”.

Taking in this new information, you once again cross your arms over your chest, this time protectively, as you look around your surroundings. “He’s here?”

Strange just looks at you for a moment before answering, “No. After I found him, and he informed me that Loki is alive and that he wished to remain in exile; he disappeared”.

“And you need me to find him?”, you finish with a roll of your eyes.

“I need you to aid in our defenses if Loki ever returns to Earth. You’re one of the few enhanced individuals who could defeat him single-handedly”, he explains.

You tilt your head slightly as you raise your eyebrows, awaiting the rest of his reason for selecting you for help. You watch patiently as he sighs while rolling his eyes before continuing.

“And yes; I would like you to find him”, he says annoyed.

Pondering this for a moment, you finally decide to agree to help look for the Allfather, it was time you met this man anyway.

* * *

Looking for Odin took longer than you initially thought it would—eight months, in fact. You narrowed down your search to Norway, the last place that worshipped the Asgardian Gods. You figured that, since they were once popular in this area so long ago, Odin would be comfortable here. Your instincts turned out to be true but narrowing down where in Norway seemed to be the real challenge. It wasn’t till you were walking along the coast of a small village in Tønsberg that you spotted a lone figure at the top of a cliff overseeing the horizon; that you knew you found him. You sent a quick text to Strange that you believe to have found him before you made your way up to where he was located.

Walking through the empty field that overlooked the ocean below, you spot the elderly man standing at the edge of the cliff, his back facing your direction. You look at his figure and then to your surroundings finding no other soul in sight, meaning you were alone with the man who terrorized your thoughts whenever your mother came to mind. You take a deep breathe before hesitantly walking towards him.

Once you reach his side, you look over at him, but he pays you no attention as he continues to look off into the distance. You’re lost for words to say as you continue to watch him as your brows furrow at the confusing situation you stumbled upon. When you imagined meeting Odin for the first time, you expected for him to be unsettling or even cruel, but when he finally turns to you, you’re met with a soft look in his one good eye and a sad smile.

“You look more like your mother than I ever imagined”, he tells you softly.

Not sure how to reply, you remain silent. A million thoughts run through your mind, but only one thought has plagued you since you learned of your mother’s fate.

“Why?”, you ask shakily. “Why was my birth such a horrible crime?”

A small chuckle escapes from him as he turns his gaze to the horizon once again. “It’s not your birth that was the crime, it was what your birth signified. It’s really all my fault, I should have known that this outcome was unavoidable, but the fear of what the daughters of Freya would do to Asgard if they were allowed to stay in the realm overpowered any other thought”, he says tiredly.

“Daughters?”, you question.

Before you can ask anything else, you hear footsteps from behind you as Odin speaks once again. “My sons. I’ve been waiting for you”. Looking over you find both Thor and Loki looking between you and their father, you take a step back allowing the two to stand next to their father. You watch from over Thor’s shoulder as the three men talk about Asgard, Frigga, and how Ragnarök has already begun and that someone is coming who Odin cannot keep away any longer.

“Father, who are you talking about?”, Thor questions.

“Goddess of Death. Hela”, he states simply. “My first born”, he continues, shifting his gaze over to where you and Thor stand. “Daughter of Freya. The sister you share”, he tells the two of you.

Shocked, you and Thor exchange looks before both of you look back to where Odin was.

“W-what?”, Thor stammers.

“Before Frigga, I was betrothed and wedded to Freya. Together we had a daughter, but her violent appetites grew beyond my control. I couldn’t stop her, so I imprisoned her in Helhiem. Locked her away. Freya couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, so our marriage ended, and it was declared that this era of our history was never to be spoken of again. Freya, broken after losing Hela, began roaming the realms, and after the birth and death of her son, I was warned that she should never have another child for the safety of Asgard”, Odin explains.

You stop listening after that, trying to process all the new information. It all makes sense now. Why no one knew of your existence and why your mother was punished so harshly for your birth. It had nothing to do with you, it had to do with your sister and the supposed protection of Asgard. You shut your eyes and clench your fists, trying to regain control of your emotions. When you open them again, your attentions are back on Odin.

“Remember this place. Home”, he says softly before he disappears, gold specs floating away into the breeze.

You watch from behind them, as Thor and Loki turn their attention to a new portal, one darker, as it begins to form revealing a dark-haired, slender woman who steps out in all black with hues of green.

“So, he’s gone then? That’s a shame, I would have like to see that”, she says looking at the two men standing in front of her.

“I’m Thor, Son of Odin”

“Really? You don’t look like him”, she quips.

“Perhaps we can come to an arrangement”, Loki says.

“You sound like him”, she says pointing over at the God of Mischief.

It’s then that she turns her attention to you, standing behind the two men. She looks you over for a moment before taking a step closer to where you’re standing. “You look so much like mother”, she tells you, affection obvious in her voice. “Come closer, darling”.

You look over at Thor before returning your confused gaze back to the woman who was apparently your long-lost sister.

“Why should I trust you?”, you ask hesitantly.

“You’re my little sister, I would never cause you harm”, she tells you sincerely, her eyes never leaving yours.

“Enough of this!”, Thor yells as he throws his hammer at her, stopping you from making any decision.

You watch frozen as she catches Mjölnir midair and hear Thor says that what they’re watching isn’t possible before she shatters the hammer into pieces and says, “Darling, you have no idea, what’s possible”.

Not knowing what to do, you keep your stance behind Thor when you hear Loki cry, “Bring us back!”.

In the blink of an eye, you are being transported through space with Thor and Loki when you notice that Hela is also there. You watch first Loki, then Thor being thrown out of the portal, before you are left alone with Hela. Expecting to be the next one thrown out of the portal, you prepare to fight, but are surprised when all she does is wink at you while shooting you a smile before you arrive at your destination, Asgard.

Confused you look around as Hela throws two swords at two men dressed in armor, killing both of them instantly, before she once again turns to look at you. Your guard is up, and you are ready to defend yourself if need be as she slowly approaches you. To your surprise, she simply places her hands on each of your shoulders before looking you over for a few moments.

“Fate hasn’t been kind to you, has it?”, she asks, meeting your eyes. “It never is to those of us who are chosen for a greater purpose. Those who have a destiny”.

“I don’t believe in destiny, and I definitely don’t believe in killing innocent people for my own enjoyment”, you tell her, disgust seeping into your voice as you recoil from her touch.

She simply gives you a look you don’t know how to decipher, “Is that what he told you? Why I was locked away?”. She begins to laugh a humorless laugh. “Odin locked me away because he needed someone to fault when the realms began revolting against his quest for power”, she says with disgust.

Watching her for any hint of manipulation or dishonesty but finding only sincerity in her words. She looks over at the castle on the other end of the Bifrost and back over to you before she seemingly comes to a decision. “Come. I’ll show you”.

You walk cautiously behind her, but you follow, nonetheless. Its not until you reach the inside of the palace, just passed the entrance when she stops and looks up at the ceiling. “This is not our history”, she says with venom before throwing a set of knives to the ceiling, causing the concrete to crack and fall around you, revealing Asgard’s true story of how it came to power that was hiding underneath.

You look over the artwork that shows how Odin was the true evil and how he unfairly punished Hela, just like he unfairly punished your mother. Anger begins to take hold of you. Hela was just like you, protecting her family and doing what was expected of her, just to be blamed and punished unfairly. To lose everything that she held dear, just like you did.

You shift your gaze from the ceiling to your sister, only to find her already looking at you. She slowly lifts one of her hands to the side of your face, “Together we can do anything, darling. We can resolve any wrongs that have been done against us. We can avenge our Mother”, she states with conviction as she moves a step back and places her hand in front of you.

“Join me”.

You don’t say anything as you place your hand in hers.

This causes her to smile as she says, "No one will be able to stand against the daughters of Freya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, to start off I apologize for the little hiatus that I've taken, but I'm finishing up my last semester for my degree, so I've been a tad busy these last few weeks. Almost done though! Will be free once August 10th hits! Wish me luck! Will try to post again before then, but we will see with my workload. 
> 
> Okay, so this chapter I'm not a fan of much either, but oh well. This chapter and the next one will be mentioning a bit from actually Norse mythology and the mythology from the movies.. cause they differ significantly. I will be taking bits and pieces from the two and tweaking them to fit this story. So, a little mythology for you: Frigga, Odin's wife, also went by the name Freyja. So for this story they are two different people, Frigga and Freya. The history was hidden from Thor like in the movies and this is why he had no idea the connection between him and our reader and the mutual sister that they share. Hela knows about our reader because she was imprisoned in Helhiem, the same location that Freya was banished to. Hela was unaffected by Helhiem because she's the goddess of death and it is a place of death. (In Norse Mythology, Hela, or Hel, is the ruler of Helhiem). 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think and if you have any questions about the chapter!


	12. Ragnarok

“My power is drawn from Asgard; the longer I’m here the more powerful I become, but your power is not cemented here. Your power comes from mother but being here will heighten your abilities and make you stronger than you’ve ever been”, Hela tells you as you walk around the room that used to belong to Freya.

Your hand is running along the duvet cover as you listen to what your sister is telling you. She was right, since your arrived in Asgard, you felt stronger. You could feel your powers coursing through your body, and it made you feel more alive than you have in a long time. You think back to what she told you in the throne room and wanted to know more. “Tell me about how you were imprisoned”, you tell her.

She takes a deep breath as her eyes travel across the room for a moment, “Well, the realms were starting to revolt. Odin needed someone to blame, so he blamed me. He ordered the Valkyries to surround and imprison me and I fought back until the Valkyries were extinct, but I was wounded in the process and that’s when Odin locked me away. Destroyed mother, she couldn’t bare the thought of her daughter, who she loved so much, being unfairly punished”.

You nod your head, taking in all the information. Odin’s decision destroyed your sister and mother and a whole group of warriors. All so he could be blameless in the war that he started. You walk over to the wardrobe and your fingers gentle caressing the various materials. You hear Hela walk up behind you.

“You need time to rest and think. Stay here, while I take care of reestablishing order in Asgard”, she tells you.

“You don’t need my help?”, you question as you turn your attention from the garments.

She simply shakes her head with a smile on her face, “You aligning yourself with me is all the help I need”, she tells you before walking out of the room closing the door behind her, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You look back to the wardrobe and pick up a beautiful light blue sleeveless gown that ends about mid-calf and had a slit that starts at the center of the waist and separates the bottom halves. It had a scale-like embroidery all along the split v neckline and was accompanied by a pair of light brown leather pants and matching colored heeled-boots. As you look over the beautiful garment, you can’t help but think of how it reminds you of… No! You can’t think about him; it hurts too much. You squeeze your eyes shut to erase his image from your mind. After a moment like this, you open your eyes and place the outfit back in the wardrobe.

You look over the other outfits, but only one catches your eye. You decide to try it on as your strip out of your dark purple flannel and jeans. As you finish tying the last lace of the breastplate, you look over your reflection in the mirror. You see how the dark brown leather of the pants fits your figure perfectly and how they lead to the royal blue of the sash at your waist. The matching blue fabric peaking out from underneath the dark silver of the breastplate that accentuates your curves and the matching floor-length cape of the same royal blue color. Your arms are left bare, except for the matching dark silver-plated armor on each of your wrists. The ensemble was finished with a pair of matching dark leather heeled boots.

Was this what your mother looked like, heading off to battle? You ponder at the thought as you continue to look over your reflection. You thought that wearing her armor would help you feel closer to her, but they were just cloth and metal; and you still felt more alone than you ever have in your entire life. You figured that being with your sister would help you feel like you had a family again, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Hela didn’t make you feel warm and safe, like Nat or Steve; she didn’t feel loving like your father. She felt cold and ruthless.

Sighing, you walk over to the bed and bite your lower lip thinking as you lay down.

_~~~_

_“Y/N. My beautiful, Y/N”, an angelic voice calls to you softly._

_You look around but find no one in site. Taking in your surroundings, as you walk through a beautiful meadow that leads to a stream with a small waterfall and spot a beautiful woman in a long white dress standing at the water’s edge._

_She looks up from the water and gives you a loving smile. You begin to slowly make your way towards her, but you’re being pulled back by an invisible force. She continues to give you a smile, while holding out her hand for you to take, but the invisible force proves to be too strong and everything goes black._

_“Don’t be deceived, my love. Look for the truth”, the angelic voice says._

_~~~_

You jolt awake, breathing heavily. Leaning up on one of your forearms as your other hand come up to rest over your heart. You feel the heavy thrum of it beating in your chest. What the hell was that about? What was your subconscious trying to tell you? Moving to stand on your feet, you run your fingers through your hair, thinking. You need to talk to Hela; you decide as you walk towards the door of your mother’s room. You make your way down the dark corridors until you reach the throne room, where you see your sister sitting on the throne.

Noticing that she looks agitated, you ask, “Hela? What’s wrong?”.

She looks over at you and tells you that someone has taken the sword that opens the Bifrost and that there is a group of rogue soldiers hiding somewhere in the kingdom. People who want to see her destroyed, loyalist to Odin.

“What can I do?”, you ask her.

“Nothing; I need time to think”, she says. Dismissing you.

You nod as you walk back to your mother’s room, lost in thought. Once you close the door behind you, you feel a pair of eyes on you and you freeze the intruder with your force field. You turn to look at the tall dark-skinned man with glowing orange eyes with a distrustful look.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”, you question him.

He remains frozen as he looks at you. “My name is Heimdall. I am the watcher of the realms; Asgard needs your help”, he tells you lowly.

“You expect me to help Odin’s loyalist against my sister?”, you ask him, incredulously.

“Hela is deceiving you. You must sense that something isn’t right; I can show you the truth”, he tells you.

This causes you to hesitate. You **_have_** felt that something has been off since your arrival on Asgard, but more importantly, you think back to the dream you had. _‘Don’t be deceived, my love. Look for the truth’_. You remove your forcefield, freeing him.

“Show me”, you say.

* * *

As you and Heimdall make your way up the mountains of Asgard in silence, you finally stop in front of a cliff that has huge stone doors on the other side.

Heimdall looks over at you and asks, “So, what has your sister told you to make you so distrustful of me?”.

You look down from the cliff to see that it is more than a few hundred feet of a drop before answering, “That someone, who I can only assume was you, stole the Bifrost sword and is leading a group of rebel soldiers trying to overthrow her”.

“Hmm”, is the only reply to hear before the doors open and a bridge is formed, allowing you access to the other side of the cliff. You slowly walk across, your powers at the ready if needed, as you enter through the doors. You look around as hundred of people, stand up from where they were sitting on the ground. You see some men, but most of the people are women and children; many have wounds that have been haphazardly attended to. They all look at you, terrified. You can only assume that your confusion can be clearly seen on your features as you hear Heimdall stop next to you.

“Some group of rebel soldiers we have here”, he says sarcastically as he turns to face you.

You’re at a loss for words as you continue to look around at the scared people of Asgard.

“She lied to me”, you say finally.

“Hela is very deceiving. She knew that with you aligned with her, there was no stopping her overtake of Asgard and her quest for power”.

You look over at him to find him already looking at you, his bright eyes begging for you to accept the truth. “Why do I matter in any of this? How does my allegiance change her outcome?”, you ask him.

“Because you’re the daughter of Freya; you hold more power than you realize”, he says simply.

You’re more confused now more than ever. “But my mother—“, you begin to question before Heimdall cuts you off.

“Wait. We need to go. Hela is on her way here”, he says looking at the doors you just entered before the two of you begin to usher everyone to another exit.

* * *

As you and Heimdall lead the people of Asgard across the bridge, you slowly stop as you see Fenris guarding the door to the Bifrost, you see the people behind you start to walk the way you just came only to find your sister’s undead army blocking the path. You all were trapped. You prepare to fight when you see a ship above you open fire at the huge wolf as he begins running towards you. He is almost in front of you when a figure jumps out of the ship and lands on the bridge. Not sure what to make of the scenario, until you see Hulk grab Fenris by his tail and begin fighting the enormous dog.

“Bruce?”, you say on a laugh before you join the fight.

* * *

Fighting for a few minutes before you see Loki appear with a ship of his own and the people begin to board for safety.

“I saw you coming”, Heimdall tells the God of Mischief.

“Of course, you did”, is his reply before looking at you. “Hello, love. I was hoping you’d be here”, he tells you with a wicked smile on his face.

You roll your eyes, but have a small smile on your own features, “At least were on the same side this time”.

The fighting resumes until a huge bolt of lighting hits the castle, which you can only assume is Thor. You smile as you send a wave of energy knocking ten undead off of the bridge, just as Thor lands on the bridge disintegrating twenty more with lightning. You continue to attack the undead until they are all taken care of, as you stand awaiting Hela with Thor and Loki. You look over toward the castle waiting when Heimdall and a beautiful dark-skinned woman join you three. The women looks at you and immediately bows.

“My lady”, she says looking up at you.

Once again, you’re uttered speechless, “I think you have me confused with someone else”, you say to her.

She shakes her head slowly. “I would recognize the daughter of Freya anywhere, my lady. I’m a Valkyrie”, she offers as an explanation.

“Um, okay?”

She gives you a puzzled look, “Your mother was the queen of the Valkyries. We were loyal to her and her alone”, she says.

 ** _This_** catches your attention immediately. “But Odin sent the Valkyries after Hela, and it broke my mother’s heart”, you say bewildered.

She gives a strange look, “No, my lady. Freya was the one to make the decision to imprison Hela, after realizing she was mad with power. **_She_** was the one who had to convince Odin it was necessary. The decision to imprison Hela and the loss of her warriors was what broke her heart and why she couldn’t bare to stay on Asgard afterwards”, she finishes.

It all made sense now. Hela has been manipulating you from the start because she saw you as a threat to her victory. But you still didn’t understand why everyone thought you had this much weight in the outcome of anything. Your questions would have to wait, you were still in the middle of a battle.

“Later”, you say as you form a plan to defeat Hela.

* * *

As Loki makes his way to find Surtur’s crown and create Ragnarok; you, Thor and Valkyrie will distract Hela. You all fight for a while until Hela manages to best all three of you. She slowly walks towards Valkyrie when you get up and fight Hela hand to hand. She manages to get you by the throat before slamming you into the bridge. The last thing you hear is Thor telling Hela to stop before everything goes dark.

~~~

_You look around to see that you once again are in the meadow that leads to the stream with the small waterfall and spot the same beautiful woman once again standing at the water’s edge._

_She once again looks up from the water and gives you a loving smile, while holding out her hand for you to take. You make your way towards her and when you finally reach her, you place your hand into hers._

_“My beautiful Y/N. Look at the wonderful woman you’ve become”, she says to you with so much love in her voice._

_“Mom?”, you question as tear begin to form in your eyes. “How is this possible?”, you ask her._

_She smiles at you, “We’re Gods, my love. Anything is possible.”_

_Your tears begin to fall as you launch yourself at her, wrapping your arms around her tightly as she returns your embrace just as fiercely. Once you pull away from her slightly to look at her face you ask, “Where are we?”_

_“Valhalla”, she replies._

_“But I thought Odin banished you to Helheim?”_

_She shakes her head, “I asked to go to Helheim, to see Hela once more, before I went to Valhalla. I tried to convince her one last time to stop her madness, but she refused. I explained that she would never succeed because of you. You’re her complete opposite and she would never be able to best you”._

_“I don’t understand. How am I her opposite? How is energy and matter manipulation the opposite of death?”_

_Freya lets out a small chuckle, “Energy and matter? Such a scientific and mortal way of thinking, my love. It will all make sense soon. You’ve only just scratched the surface of what you are capable of”, she tells you before everything once again goes dark._

_~~~_

You jolt awake on the cot you were sleeping on to find Thor and Bruce by your side. They shush you gentle and tell you that the battle is over. Hela and Asgard have been destroyed and that you were on your way to Earth.

“Earth’s not the same. There’s so much that’s happen while you two have been gone”, you tell them.

“What has Tony’s cooking gotten any worse?”, Bruce jokes lightly.

You smile sadly, “No, I’m serious. There was a—“, you’re cut off by a jolt to the ship. You three run to the head of the ship to see another huge ship beginning to fire at you from the window.

“Who the hell is this?”, you question as you once again prepare to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, please don't kill me! I am finally back and the rest of this story will be posted in a more reasonable manner. I apologize for the long hiatus. I was able to gain my degree, but I lost my relationship in the process. Plus with everything else going on, it's safe to say that I've been going through a bit of a rough time lately. I hope all of you are well and staying safe!
> 
> So, Freyja in Norse mythology was at one point was the queen of the Valkyries which is explained in this chapter. This isn't my best work, I know. Half of this chapter was written over a month ago and I just finished it up, so if there is a weird shift in this chapter that is why. Also sorry for the abrupt ending; wasn't sure how to end it, but since Ragnarok leads straight to IW it kinda makes sense. We are all set up for Infinity War! I'm so excited for it! One chapter will be Tony, another will be Steve and Bucky, and one will be our Reader. I hope you guys like how things are unfolding!


	13. 14,000,605

As him and Pepper slowed their stride down to a walk; Tony continued to ramble on about the dream he had the night prior. “Apropos of that, last night I dreamt we had a kid. It was so real. We named him after your eccentric uncle. What was his name? Morgan!”

“Right”, Pepper stated while nodding her head in understanding. “So, you woke up and naturally thought…”, she trailed off as Tony finished her sentence.

“That we were expecting”, he said as if it was the most obvious thing, looking for any kind of confirmation from his fiancé.

Pepper nodded her head one last time as she took a deep breath before giving her future husband a thoughtful look. “Yeah, no. Y’wanna know what I think your dream means?”, She questions before continuing, not giving Tony the chance to answer her rhetorical question. “I think that you’re worried about your daughter and the letter she left for you before she disappeared”.

Tony shifted his eyes from Pepper’s face to the ground, lost in thought. He hasn’t seen Y/N for almost a year now. She just left without a word and all he had left of her was a single piece of paper explaining that she couldn’t bear to look at him.

Tony clears his throat before taking a deep breath, trying to ease the tightness in his chest that formed whenever his daughter came to mind. Looking back over at Pepper, sarcastic comment at the ready, he opened his mouth. Whatever he was about to say died on his tongue as he heard a deep voice call out his name from his right.

Tony looked on as a man in a blue kimono tunic and a red cape stepped out of a glowing yellow portal, a serious and somewhat somber expression on his face, claiming that they needed his help. He felt his eyebrows knit together in confusion, “Who’s we?”.

Before the wizard knock-off, Strange, could say anything; he watched as a familiar face stepped out of the portal and walk up to him.

“Bruce?”

He witnessed one of his closest friends fall apart right in front of him. Tony felt Banner collapse into him in a fierce hug. Hugging him back, Tony felt the scientist shaking as he held onto him for dear life as a few sobs escaped him.

“I’m so sorry”, Bruce managed to say as he stepped back to look at Tony.

Tony didn’t know what to make of the situation. Why was he apologizing? What happened? He shifted his gaze from Bruce to Strange, and saw the magician lower his head with a mournful expression on his features. Tony shifted his gaze back to his friend and felt the breath leave his lungs and his feet give away from underneath him at Bruce’s next words.

“It’s Y/N, Tony… She’s dead”.

* * *

Tony sat uncharacteristically quiet on the bench clenching and unclenching his fists, willing himself to maintain control until he could get his hands on this Mad Titan, as he listened to the two magicians explaining about the infinity stones. He just nodded his head as he half listened, his daughter was the only thing he could think about. As Tony thought about his daughter, his mind could only focus on one single fact: he couldn’t remember the last time he saw her smile. All his recent memories of her are painful ones, screaming fights and unshed tears. He had to take a deep breath to will his own tears from falling as he refocused on the conversation in front of him.

“The fact is we have the time stone. We know where it is”, Bruce explained, pausing briefly before continuing. “Vision is out there with the mind stone. We need to find and protect it”.

“Yeah, that’s the thing. Vision turned off his transponder two weeks ago. He’s off the grid”, Tony stated as he rose to his feet and walked past the three men standing in the middle of the room.

“Okay. Who would be able to find him?”, Strange asked to Tony’s retreating form.

Tony stopped walking with his back still facing the others before taking a deep breath and answering, “Probably Steve Rogers”.

Tony heard Strange scoff at the revelation and Bruce confusingly ask why this was an issue as he turned around to answer him.

“God, we haven’t caught up in a spell, have we? The Avengers broke up. Cap and I fell out hard. We’re not on speaking terms”, he explained. “The team split in half and Y/N was caught in the middle of everything”, he finished, ignoring how his voice cracked when he said his daughter’s name.

“Y/N said that Earth wasn’t the same. That so much has changed”, Bruce said in realization, more to himself than anyone else. He took a minute to gather his thoughts before he met Tony’s eyes. “Tony, listen to me. Thor and Y/N are gone. Thanos is coming. We need to stop him, and we need Steve to do it”.

* * *

Following Squidward’s twin onto his ship to rescue an unconscious Strange and now flying through space to God knows where was not exactly how Tony pictured that battle ending. Doesn’t matter anyway. He would bet his entire fortune that they were headed to where Thanos was and that was exactly where Tony wanted to be. It didn’t matter if he didn’t return, he would avenge his daughter.

Tony stood looking down at where Strange was held when he felt a presence behind him. Repulsers at the ready until he saw it was Strange’s cape. “Wow. You are a real loyal piece of outerwear, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty…”

Tony turned his head as his eyes widened at the all too familiar voice of the 15-year-old boy who he has come to see as a son. No. This wasn’t part of the plan… Tony was prepared to die to avenge his daughter, but he couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else. Especially someone who he saw as his own child, he’s already lost Y/N. He couldn’t lose Peter too.

“What the—”

“I know what you’re gonna say”

“You should not be here”

“I was gonna go home—”

“I don’t want to hear it”

“But it was such a long way down—”

“And now I gotta hear it”

“And now I’m here in space”

“Yeah, right where I didn’t want you to be. This isn’t some fieldtrip. It’s a one-way ticket. I need to destroy the bastard who killed my daughter, no matter what it costs. That cost doesn’t include you!” Tony finished, breathing heavily as he looked at Peter who shifted his gaze to his feet that were shuffling nervously.

Still looking at his feet Peter replies quietly, “Y/N meant a lot to me too”. Looking up from his feet and straight at Tony he continues, determined. “I want to help. Let me avenge her too”.

Tony just stared at him for a minute. It was true that while him and Pepper were traveling, trying to rebuild their relationship. Y/N and Peter formed a sibling bond while dealing with Vulture during Peter’s homecoming. She became a mentor to him, and they were really close before she left town.

Tony finally nodded his head and asked Peter what their plan should be to free Strange.

“Did you ever see this really old movie, ‘Aliens’?”, Peter said.

* * *

Freeing Strange turned out to not be the best plan as he turned out to be a smartass that even rivalled Tony’s abilities. They spent the last few minutes going back and forth until Strange finally spoke up.

“Stark. Can you get us home?”

The lack of response was answer enough for Strange, as he looked over at Tony with annoyance.

“Under no circumstances, can we bring the time stone to Thanos. I don’t think you quite understand what’s at stake here”

“No, it’s you who doesn’t understand… Thanos has been inside my head for six years. Ever since he sent an army to New York and not only is he back, but he’s taken everything from me! He took everything when he killed Y/N! She was my whole world--”, Tony trailed off as his voice became thick with emotion.

Strange just looked at Tony for a long moment before simply nodding his head. “I knew Y/N. She was a pain in the ass, but she was quite a woman. I do feel for you Stark”, he said sincerely before pondering his next words. “Alright, we go to him, but I need you to understand that if it comes down to saving you, or the kid, or the time stone. I will not hesitate to let either of you die”.

Tony just nodded his head.

“Understood”.

* * *

“You don’t want to tell me where she is? That’s fine! I’ll kill you three and beat it out of Thanos myself! Starting with you!”, the man yelled as he continued to hold his gun to Peter’s head.

Safe to say that Tony was confused, as was Strange, about these newcomers who just attacked them, was an understatement.

“Wait, what, Thanos?”, Strange questioned. “Alright, I’m gonna ask you this one time. What master do you serve?”

“What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say, ‘Jesus’?”, the man quipped back sarcastically.

Tony understood now. These weren’t Thanos’s soldiers. This group was looking for Thanos just like they were.

“You’re from Earth”

“I’m not from Earth. I’m from Missouri”

“Yeah, that’s on Earth dipshit! What are you hassling us for?”

“Wait, so you’re not with Thanos?”, Peter said, timidly.

“With Thanos? No! I’m here to kill Thanos. Wait, who are you?”, The man said, exasperated, lowering his gun, and letting Peter go.

“We’re the Avengers man”, Peter replied as he stood next to the man, Quill, as his face was revealed from under his mask.

“Oh, you’re the ones that Thor told us about!”, the bug-looking woman shouted.

Tony froze at the name. Thor? He was still alive?

“You know Thor?”, Tony asked. “Was he alone?”, he finished, his voice steady as he began to feel a surge of hope in his chest.

“Yeah, tall guy. Not very good-looking. Had a hard-ass woman who packs quite a punch for being so small with him. What the hell was her name?”, Quill replied, absent-mindedly.

“Y/N”, Tony answered.

“Yeah, that’s her!”

Tony pulled back his weapons at this revelation. A small laugh escaped him as a relieved smile took over his features.

“She’s alive”, Tony breathed out. “My daughter is alive”, he said looking over at Peter, with watery eyes, who had a similar expression on his face.

“Where are they now?”, Strange questioned.

* * *

Tony felt more exhilarated than he ever has in his life. When he thought his firecracker was gone, he felt like he couldn’t breathe—he could barely focus— he felt like he died with her. Now he felt like new life has been breathed into him. He was no longer on a suicide mission, he needed to make it back to Earth so he could see her again. Tell her the was sorry and that nothing else mattered as long as she was safe. He would make it back to her. No matter what.

As Tony was forming a plan with their new allies—Quill, Mantis and Drax— he was about to lose his shit at the disregard that they were showing him. He only kept his composure because these people were why he still had something worth fighting for. They had helped save his daughter’s life.

As Quill was explaining that his plan sucked at that they needed a different one, Tony fought the roll of his eye, his vision shifted to look at Strange. He was sitting down, but floating, doing some sort of magic with the time stone. Shifting continuously, until he fell to the ground with a grunt.

“It’s okay, you’re back”, Tony said to him as he knelt in front of him.

“What was that?”, Peter asked from behind Tony.

“I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict”, Strange answered, slightly out of breath, as a result of what he just witnessed.

“How many did you see?”, Quill questioned.

“14,000,605”

“How many did we win?”, Tony asked

“One”, Strange answered him, with a small hint of respect in his voice, that has been absent before, as he looked sincerely at the billionaire.

* * *

“I thought you’d be harder to catch. For the record this was my plan”, Quill stated.

Tony rolled his eyes as him and Peter continued to try to free the gauntlet from Thanos’s grip as Mantis tried to keep him unconscious.

“Where is Gamora?”, Tony heard Quill ask the half-sleeping Titan.

“My Gamora”, Thanos groaned out.

“No, bullshit!”, Quill cut him off. “Where is she?”

“He is in anguish”, Mantis revealed. “He- he mourns”, she panted out from exerting her abilities as her eyes began to water.

“What does this monster have to mourn?”, Drax added while straining to keep Thanos pinned.

“Gamora”, The newcomer, Nebula, answered. “He took her to Vormir. He came back with the soul stone. She didn’t”, she finished, looking down as she understood what happened.

Tony saw as Quill turned from Nebula back to Thanos with a heartbroken look on his face. He knew that look. He was pretty sure it was the same look that was on his own features until he found out his daughter wasn’t dead.

“Okay, Quill, you gotta cool it, right now. You understand!”, Tony shouted as he continued to struggle to get the gauntlet off. He watched helplessly as Quill’s features shifted from heartbroken to anger. “Don’t, don’t. Don’t engage. We almost got this off!”, he yelled.

It was too late. Tony watched on as Quill lost all control and hit Thanos in the face repeatedly, ruining the plan. Tony had to let go of the gauntlet to grab and hold him back, but by the time he reached Quill, Thanos once again regained consciousness and freed himself from all of their holds—gauntlet still secured on his left hand.

* * *

“You throw another moon at me, and I’m gonna lose it”, Tony panted out as he landed to stand right in front of Thanos, blocking his path to an unconscious Strange.

Thanos stood and looked at Tony for a moment before replying, “Stark”.

“You know me?”

“I do. You’re not the only one cursed with knowledge. You and your daughter are the biggest obstacles in my way”, Thanos answered calmly.

“My only curse is you. I’ll die before I let you anywhere near Y/N again”

As the fighting resumed, Tony fought harder than he ever has in his life. He would make Thanos pay for all the pain and suffering he’s caused. Tony had the upper hand at the beginning, but Thanos proved too strong with the gauntlet.

Holding him back with the repulsers powered by the last remaining energy in his suit, Tony went with his last option. Shifting his nanotech to form a dagger on his arm he lunged for Thanos, only to have the titan grab his arm, break the blade off and impale it into the right side of Tony’s abdomen. As he struggled to breathe, Tony looked into Thanos’s eyes.

“You have my respect, Stark. You and your daughter are worthy warriors in my eyes. Shame you both met the same end at my hands. When I’m done, half of humanity will still be alive. I hope they remember you both”, Thanos stated as he walked away from Tony, gauntlet powering up to finish the job.

Tony let out a pained groan, preparing to take his last breath. He thought of everything important to him—Pepper, Peter, Rhodey, Y/N—when he heard Strange speak up.

“Stop!’, he groaned. “Spare his life and I will give you the stone”.

“No tricks”

Strange looked at Tony before shifting his gaze back to Thanos before shaking his head gently. Defeated. Thanos shifted the gauntlet from Tony’s direction onto Strange.

“Don’t”, Tony let out weakly.

He watched helplessly as Strange revealed the glowing green stone to Thanos and watched on as Thanos added its power to the gauntlet, only leaving one empty space for the last remaining stone, before he disappeared into a dark blue portal.

“Why would you do that?”, Tony asked defeatedly as he sealed his wound.

Strange gave a simple reply as his answer.

“We’re in the endgame now”.

* * *

As peter helped Tony to his feet, Mantis spoke up.

“Something’s happening”.

As she said it, she disappeared. Her form changing into dust and blowing away with the wind. Drax and Quill soon followed after in the same fashion. Tony understood, Thanos had succeeded in his mass genocide. It wasn’t until he watched as Peter stubbled towards him, sickly pale as he had a scared look on his face, showing how young he truly was, that Tony felt the reality of what was happening.

“Mr. Stark?”, Peter said, fear evident in his voice. “I don’t feel so good. I-I-I don’t know what’s happening”. Peter began to cry as he fell into Tony’s arms. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go. Please, I don’t want to go”, he said as he squeezed Tony.

Tony slowly lowered him to the ground holding on to him, trying in vain to keep Peter there with him, as he watched him slowly fading away. He looked down at the boy with tears in his eyes as Peter looked up at him.

“I’m sorry”, Peter said before completely disappearing.

Tony looked at where Peter just was before looking at his own hand, expecting to watch himself disappear as well. When he realized he wasn’t going anywhere he looked to Strange, who was already looking at him. A pleading look on his face begging Tony to understand.

“Tony, there was no other way”, Strange said taking a deep breath as he began to disappear. Before he was fully gone, Strange told Tony one last thing, looking into his eyes to ensure he understood.

“Protect your daughter”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I plan on finishing this story up over the next week or two. So be ready for massive updates over the next 14 days cause we still have about seven more chapters to go after this one. Okay so the next two chapters will be during the same time frame, but from different point of views. I will explain in detail what happened to our reader during the beginning of IW when it is her POV for the events. Next Chapter will be from Bucky's POV-- and maybe Steve's (TBD). 
> 
> For this chapter, as far as Thanos knows during this chapter, the reader is dead. He has no idea that she is alive, due to the events that take place which will be revealed during her chapter. I also switched the order of the characters disappearing, I needed Strange to be the last one gone so that way his line would be the last thing Tony hears before he's left alone with Nebula on Titan. Let me know what y'all think!


	14. Sacrifices

“We don’t want to kill you”, Natasha stated simply as the four of them stood over the two aliens that they just forced into submission.

“But we will”, Bucky finished for her, his rifle at the ready.

“You’ll never get the chance again”, the female alien with the horns on her temples replied, in disgust, before her and her partner were flown up to their ship.

“Cowards”, Sam stated as they watched on as the ship flew off into the distance.

After the ship was no longer in sight, Steve and Bucky walked in front of Nat and Sam, towards the two ex-members of the Avengers. Sam helped Wanda lift Vision up to his feet as the android nodded his head in thanks.

“Thank you, Captain. Sergeant.”, the android said before acknowledging Nat and Sam in the same manner.

Steve nodded his head slightly, just looking from him to Wanda before replying, “Let’s get you on the jet”.

After everyone filed onto the quinjet, Nat closed the hanger door before starting her lecture on the young witch.

“Now, I thought we had a deal. Stay close, check in, don’t take any chances”, Nat said, her voice clipped with agitation as she turned to look at the couple sitting on one side of the jet.

Bucky watched as Wanda looked down at her feet, her hand tightly enclosed in Vision’s.

“I’m sorry. We just wanted time”, she replied.

“Leave them be, Nat”, Bucky chimed in from where he was sitting on the other side of the jet. “Wanting more time with the person you love isn’t a crime”, he finished, fiddling with the chain around his neck before shifting his gaze away from the young couple to study the ground in front of him.

Bucky could feel everyone’s attention on him, but he refused to meet anyone’s eyes. He’s been with Steve, Nat, and Sam since Shuri removed the triggers from his head six months ago in Wakanda. He wanted nothing more than to stay in his hut by the water in the reclusive African country, but he knew that Steve needed him. He was Steve’s family and Steve was Bucky’s—the only family he had left in his life. Even though he still had Steve, there was still a gaping hole in his chest where Y/N used to be.

Bucky closed his eyes tightly as he felt his chest tighten when her image appeared in his mind. After all these months—after everything he’s been through—losing her was the most painful thing he’s ever experienced. He reopened his eyes and looked back over to the hopeful couple in front of him and remembered when that used to be him.

When Bucky left Wakanda—new Vibranium arm in tow-- to join Steve on the run, he learned that the young witch was also with them, he was hopeful that Y/N was there as well, but Wanda told him that Y/N left to go on her own shortly before she reached out to Steve. Wanda told him that Y/N wasn’t the same after her and Tony returned from Siberia; that she became a shell of her former self.

Bucky was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Sam asked, “Where to, Cap?”

Bucky once again shifted his gaze from the couple to look at Steve, only to find his best friend already looking at him.

“Home”, he replied. His eyes never leaving Bucky’s.

* * *

“I’m not looking for forgiveness and I’m way past asking for permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So, we’re here to fight. And if you to stand in our way, we’ll fight you too”, Steve told the hologram of the Secretary of State.

Rhodey, shortly after, ended the call after disobeying a direct order to arrest them. He gave the group a small smile that didn’t reach his swollen, red eyes—almost as if he’d been crying-- as he hugged first Steve then Nat.

Bucky barely paid attention to the exchange as he glanced around the room, hoping to see the person he desperately wanted to see, but only saw a man walk in with a timid expression on his face.

“I think you guys look great”, the man said with a small smile as his gaze never left Nat’s figure.

He felt Nat tense beside him as she replied, “Hi, Bruce”.

Bucky simply watched the interaction when he heard Steve ask, “We need to get started. Where’s Y/N?”

Bucky straightened his posture immediately at the mention of your name— due to nerves or excitement, he wasn’t sure. He watched as the man’s, Bruce’s, eyes left Nat’s figure and shifted to him nervously.

“You didn’t tell them?”, Rhodey asked quietly.

Bruce turned his eyes to Rhodey and shook his head gently. “I didn’t think it was right saying it over the phone”.

Bucky didn’t like where this conversation was going. Was she missing? Was she hurt? God, he hoped that she was alright. That she was safe. He kept quite as he waited for the answer, his metal fist clenching on its own accord.

Bruce took a deep breath as he looked over at the group until he was once again staring directly at Bucky.

“We were attacked by Thanos. Y/N fought as long as she could, but—”, his voice trailed off as he took a shuddering breath. “She’s dead. Her and Thor. They’re gone”, he finished quietly.

Bucky’s feet gave away underneath him at the revelation. He couldn’t breathe as he fell to the ground. He felt someone kneel next to him—Steve, maybe?—he didn’t care. She was dead. Just like that, gone. He would never see her again, never kiss her, never hear her laugh.

He just sat there, hyperventilating.

His world crashing around him.

Again.

* * *

After Steve calmed Bucky down enough to breath regularly, he maneuvered him to the couch where he just sat, numbly. Bucky’s only movements were when he grabbed the silver chain around his neck and twirled the small wedding band in his fingers. Staring at nothing, lost in his thoughts.

Steve stood, watching his best friend hopelessly. He was heartbroken. Y/N was like family to Steve, but he knew that she meant everything to Bucky. He looked around the room at Nat’s unreadable expression, Wanda sobbing gently into Vision’s shoulder as he held her, Sam was leaning his head against the wall, his features hidden.

“I know that this is difficult, but we need to still figure out what to do. It’s what Y/N would have wanted. We need to beat them. For her”, Steve said quietly, his voice strained as he fought to keep his composure.

“We have to assume that they’re coming back”, Rhodey stated, tensely.

“And they can clearly find us”, Wanda added weakly.

“We need all hands-on deck. Where’s Clint?”, Bruce asked.

Nat cleared her throat before answering, “After the whole accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families. They’re both on house arrest”.

“Okay, it doesn’t matter. Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he won’t stop until he… gets Vision’s stone”, Bruce finished.

“Then we have to protect it”, Nat answered automatically. “For Y/N”.

“No, we have to destroy it”, Vision answered back.

When no one replied to him, he continued explaining how destroying the stone would solve everything and ruin Thanos’s goal of wiping out half of humanity. He offered the idea that Wanda would be able to destroy the stone since her abilities are so similar to the stone itself.

“Yeah, and you with it. We’re not having this conversation”, she replied. Voice strained as she looked up at Vision.

Steve watched the interaction as Vision looked down at Wanda.

“Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can’t get it”, Vision stated simply as his arms tightened around Wanda.

“That’s too high a price”, Wanda replied as her voice cracked.

“Only you have the power to pay it”, he replied after a moment of silence as he grabbed Wanda’s face gently, begging her to understand.

Steve continued to watch as Wanda pulled away and walked a few feet, her back facing Vision as her shoulders shook with her silent tears. His heart breaking once again.

This duty to protect mankind required all of them to sacrifice so much. He had to sacrifice Peggy to stop Hydra. He looked away from Wanda and shifted his gaze to Bucky, still holding onto Y/N wedding ring like a lifeline. Y/N sacrificed Bucky to ensure peace. Now Wanda was asked to sacrifice Vision to certify humanity’s survival. It wasn’t fair to them. 

“We don’t trade lives, Vision”, Steve finally said. “We protect the stone until we have no other choice”

Vision turned to face Steve and began discussing how this was the best option. Arguing ensued when Bruce, Nat, and Sam joined in on the conversation about the best course of action. It was until a loud bang was heard that everyone turned to what caused the noise.

Everyone fell silent as they saw Bucky remove his metal fist from the wall. No one noticed him get up and begin to pace until he slammed his fist into the cement at the arguing. It remained silent until Bucky finally spoke.

“We protect the stone. For Y/N”, He said, echoing Nat’s words from earlier.

* * *

“They surrender?”, Bucky asked Steve.

“Not exactly”, replied Steve.

Bucky watched on as Thanos’s army ran forward, trying to break Wakanda’s barrier. He no longer felt numb. He was pissed off. After they stopped Thanos and Y/N was avenged, he could stew in his self-loathing and give in to his heartache at what he lost. Until then, he would ensure the stone was protected and destroy as many of Thanos’s dogs as he could. Should he die in the process, then he would at least be with Y/N again.

Bucky continued to watch as a few of the dogs managed to come through the barrier. He began unloading bullets into them with the deadly accuracy that he was known for. Once they were taken care of, the group of heroes noticed that the dogs started to go around the barrier. In order to keep them away from Vision, T’Challa order for a section of the barrier to be opened.

Bucky prepared himself for the brutal battle that was about to unfold. Once the barrier was open and the dogs ran toward them, the remaining avengers and Wakanda warriors ran forward to meet them halfway.

Slowing his stride since he was more skilled at far range combat; Bucky began shooting, taking out a number of different enemies. The battle progressed on and over time Bucky was immersed in the chaos, dogs surrounded him as he continued his attacks.

For every vicious dog that launched an attack, he retaliated with twice as much viciousness. Building up his anger and taking it out on whichever enemy was closest.

Picturing Y/N’s face and knowing he would never see her again—bullet casings dropped like rain.

Her laugh and how he would never hear it again—knives flying like birds.

The image of the children they talked about having and knowing that he would never know them—grenades detonating like fireworks.

It wasn’t until multiple dogs jumped onto Bucky that he felt her image slip from his mind. Panic over taking his senses as he continued to wrestle the dogs, stabbing them with his blade when he could. He heard a loud noise, almost like an explosion, and felt the ground shake underneath him. Must be more of Thanos’s army coming to collect that fucking stone. Coming to the realization that he wasn’t going to make it out of this scenario; Bucky’s panic slid away and all he felt was a calming peace when the image of Y/N’s smiling face looking up at him entered his mind.

One moment, there were half a dozen dogs on him and the next he was free. Bucky sat up and looked at his surroundings as a huge axe was flying through the air, killing multiple dogs, and freeing various people who were overtaken by them.

Bucky confusingly watched as the axe flew to the owner who was standing in a bright, rainbow-colored area that touched the ground and continued up to the sky. Once the bright light disappeared, four figures stepped out. A tree-looking figure stood next to a tall man with silver amor and a bright red cape who held the axe, a small animal on his shoulder holding a rifle. The man stood next to a feminine figure in similar armor, but her cape was a royal blue color. It wasn’t until Bucky saw her face that all the air left his lungs.

“Y/N”, Bucky breathed out.

As if she heard him, her face shifted from the opposing army and looked his way. Her angry facial expression melted into one of longing.

When their eyes met across the battlefield, it was as if time stopped and nothing else mattered but them. Bucky rose to his feet as he grabbed his rifle and began running to her as she turned away from the battle and ran towards him as well.

Once they were close enough, he caught her as she threw her arms around his neck. His own arms wrapped around her waist just as tightly. Lips meeting in a fierce and passionate kiss, all the time spent apart melted away as did all the pain and suffering.

It was just them and their love for each other.

They were all that mattered in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a day? Damn! I told you to get ready for some mass updates. This chapter is slightly shorter than the rest of the story, but that's because the rest of battle in IW will be from our reader's POV. 
> 
> So slight note, obviously Bucky isn't in Wakanda at the beginning of IW like it is in the movies. He spent a few months there while Shuri deactivated his trigger words. So Bucky is a free man now and he's been on the run with Steve, Nat, Sam and Wanda for the past few months. Wanda is with Steve because our reader gave her the burner phone to contact them before she left. Also, during the big kiss our reader has her forcefield up around them. This will be expanded on in the next chapter! Hope y'all like it!


	15. The Snap

You struggled in your captor’s grasp as you watched Thanos beat the Hulk to a bloody pulp. You watched as he slammed the green giant onto the ground, double-bladed sword at the ready to ensure he wasn’t a problem anymore. It’s then that you decided to act.

Slamming your head into your captor’s chest and, once their grasp around you loosened, swept your leg at their feet knocking them to the ground. You mustered what energy you could and hurled an energy wave at the purple titan, effectively knocking him back a few feet from Bruce. You looked down at your fellow Avenger on the ground and were relieved to see him meet your eyes, albeit weakly.

The momentary distraction was all it took. Everything that followed happened in the blink of an eye. You faintly heard Thor, restrained in metal shackles, scream your name. You couldn’t focus on anything else but the sharp pain in your chest and a coppery taste in your mouth as you looked down. Protruding from your abdomen was a long spear, a slim hand still wrapped around the handle. You followed the hand, until you met the owner of the appendage. The woman with horns adorning her temples smirked down at you, before roughly removing her spear from your body.

Your knees gave out from the pain as you fell to the floor. Before you met the ground, you felt a pair of strong arms catch you and hold you close. You looked up to find Loki looking down at you, a tender expression on his features.

“It’s okay, I have you”, the God of Mischief whispered into your ear as he checked over your wound.

You tried to sit up but were held in place by Loki’s strong embrace as you felt a trickle of blood spill from your mouth down your neck. The pain radiating from your chest was all you could focus as you felt the ship rumble all around you and a bright light shine from your peripherals before disappearing. You shifted your head slightly to see that the place Bruce was just occupying was now empty.

“That was a mistake”, Thanos spoke from somewhere to your left.

You remained still, as you shifted your eyes from the empty floor back to Loki’s worried expression. You watched as he lifted his gaze from you to look over to the same area that Thanos just spoke. You heard a pained grunt and Thor scream.

“You’re going to die for that”, Thor shouted, determined.

You watched Loki’s features change and his hold tighten on you for a moment. He seemingly came to a decision as you saw a glimmer of light reflected from a small blade in his hand as he slowly released you.

You came to the realization of his plan as you tried to hold on to his arm to stop him, but he was already gone. You pushed past the pain and weakly sat up as you watched Loki, silent as a cat, lunge for Thanos, whose back was turned in your direction, dagger aimed at his neck. You watched helplessly as Thanos stopped Loki with his gauntlet, the bright blue stone now placed next to the purple one, before grabbing his neck with his other hand and squeezing his neck until you heard bones crunching. You let out a shuddering breathe as Thanos tossed Loki’s lifeless body to the ground right next to Heimdall, a sword embedded in his chest and his bright orange eyes still opened, unresponsive.

Looking past the tears that formed in your eyes, you glanced up from the two men to first look at Thor, still held in place by shackles, a pained expression on his face as he looked at his brother, then to Thanos who stood above you.

“I figured you’d be more of a challenge”, he said as he looked down at you—almost as if he was disappointed that he beat you so easily. “No matter. You fought valiantly, even though your efforts were futile. Nothing will stop me from my destiny”.

“Y’know, my sister talked about her destiny. I’m sure you’ll meet the same end as she did”, you shot back, voice filled with disgust. 

Thanos let out a small chuckle as he looked away from you and turned to look at his followers. “There are two more stones on Earth. Find them, my children, and bring them to me on Titan”, he decreed before a flash of purple was released from his gauntlet. Then they were gone.

Thor, released from his restraints, slowly crawled towards his brother’s body. You struggled as you crawled to where he was as well, ignoring the excruciating pain you were feeling. You looked down at Loki and saw his blood-shot eyes and his blue-tinged skin as Thor wrapped his arm around him.

You hopelessly looked at your surrounding and saw the purple power from the gauntlet was slowly destroying the ship. You probably only had moments before the ship exploded, killing you. You looked back at Thor as he looked up at you, a defeated look in his eye.

You mustered up the last of your energy and created a forcefield around you three before you felt the ship combust around you.

* * *

You shot up from where you were laying at the feel of a hand on your face. You acted on instinct when you felt your fist connect with a stubbled jaw.

“Fuck! I thought you said she was dead, Gamora!”, a man yelled, his hand rubbing his jaw.

“She was”, the green woman, Gamora, clearly agitated, replied. The sword in her hand at the ready.

“Well, she punches pretty hard for a dead chick!”, the man wearing a red leather jacket shot back.

“Ha! Even dead chicks reject you, Quill!”, a racoon laughed from his position next to a tree playing a videogame.

“I am Groot”, the tree added, not bothering to look up from his game.

“Well, yeah… I know she’s not actually dead—It was a joke, Groot!”, the racoon yelled.

Confused, you looked down at where your wound once was. Your mother’s armor that you were wearing no longer on your body. The only thing you could find was a small scar from where the blade had impaled you. You thought back to what your mother told you, _‘You’ve only just scratched the surface of what you are capable of’_. Was this what she meant? The strangers said you were dead… Did that mean you had regeneration abilities? Somehow using the energy and matter from your own body to heal yourself—even when the damage was so severe that your heart gave out?

You looked up from your abdomen back to the strangers who surrounded you.

“Who the hell are you guys?”

“We’re the people who just saved your ass”, the man, Quill, replied.

You ignored him as Loki’s body, laying on the floor next to where you just got up from, caught your attention. You slowly walked up to him and knelt by his side, grabbing his cold, stiff hand in yours. You looked up from Loki’s body to ask Quill, “Thor. Where is Thor?”

“You mean the pirate angel?”, another man with grey skin and red brands all over him asked.

“He is anxious, angry. He feels tremendous loss and guilt”, a woman with antennas on her head stated from the other end of the ship. She had a hand to Thor’s forehead as she gave her diagnosis.

“Wake him up, Mantis”, Quill ordered, quietly, understanding the situation as he watched you hold onto Loki.

You heard the women, Mantis, say ‘wake’, and then you watched as Thor shot to his feet in the same manner that you did only moments before.

He looked around confusingly until his eyes landed on you next to Loki’s body. You let go of Loki’s hand and rose to your feet as Thor rushed to you, ignoring everyone else and wrapping his arms tightly around you. You returned the embrace before you felt Thor pull away, checking your abdomen for the wound he assumed was still there. When he found no injury, he looked into your eyes and a small, relieved smile was on his face. He brought his lips to your forehead, in a brotherly fashion, before he finally spoke.

“I thought I lost you too”, he breathed out.

You simply shook your head and gave him a reassuring smile as you squeezed his arm gently.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, pointbreak”

He let out a small chuckle at the familiar nickname that your father gave him so long ago before he finally acknowledged the rest of the people on this ship.

* * *

After taking the Guardians’ pod and leaving with Thor, Groot, and Rocket you were currently on your way to Nidavellir; while the rest of the Guardians went to Knowhere to ensure that Thanos didn’t get the reality stone.

You stood next to Thor who was sitting down looking at his feet, deep in thought. You crossed your arms over your armored chest—the Guardians helped fix your mother’s armor before you parted ways-- as you took a deep breath looking out the window at the vast darkness of the galaxy. You heard a buckle being undone and the pitter patter of paws hitting the ground when you noticed Rocket standing a few feet away from you.

“So, dead brother, huh?”, he asked, pretending to fiddle with something on the ship. “Yeah that can be annoying”.

“Well, he’s been dead before”, Thor answered, not looking up from his feet. “But, no, this time I think it might be true”.

You shifted your eyes from the window to Thor’s figure, watching him. You left Loki’s body on the Guardian’s main ship-- in their cooling locker. The pod didn’t have one and you all agreed that, once the immediate crisis was adverted, the Guardians would bring his body to Earth to have a proper Asgardian burial. Your thoughts shifted from the conversation as you wondered whether or not Valkyrie and the remaining Asgardians were safe when they fled the fight that cost both Loki and Heimdall their lives. You hoped they were. That they were on their way to Earth, where the remaining Avengers would protect them.

You hoped that your team—your family—would be prepared for what was to come. That your father and Steve would put aside their differences to stop Thanos. You hoped that everyone was safe, especially Tony and Bucky. You didn’t want the last thing that your father heard from you to be that you couldn’t bear to look at him and that you weren’t sure if you could ever forgive him. Same for Bucky, you didn’t want your last moment with him to be the moment you told him you couldn’t be with him.

“What if your wrong?”, Rocket asked.

Hearing this pulled you from your thoughts and back to the conversation in front of you.

“I’ve lost everything. I don’t have anyone else”, Thor replied, sadly. His eyes once again trained on the ground.

You unfolded your arms and placed one of your hands on his shoulder, rubbing gently. The action caused him to meet your eyes as you smiled down at him.

“You still have me”, you told him, reassuringly.

He gave you a small smile in return as he placed his larger hand over yours and squeezed it gently.

* * *

You ran up to Thor’s limp body after he held open the iris to restart the rig and took the full force of the star’s power. You turned his body onto his back and looked down at his unconscious form.

“I think he’s dying”, you yelled up to Eitri.

“He needs the axe!”, Eitri called back as he began smashing the mold for the weapon.

You stayed by Thor’s side as you heard the dwarf yell to Groot to help him find the handle. You heard Groot stand and scream in pain before Thor’s hand lifted and his new weapon, Stormbreaker, was in his closed fist. He stood up, seemingly renewed by the power that the axe gave him as Groot came to stand by him and Rocket climbed onto his shoulder. You stood up as he looked at you with his mismatched eyes, a smirk forming on his lips.

“Let’s go kill him”, he said before calling the Bifrost to take you four to Earth.

* * *

Once you felt the ground on your feet again, you watched as Thor threw his axe out of the Bifrost and, moments later, reappear in his hand as the bright light disappeared from around you. You looked at the ongoing battle as a determined look formed on your features. Your eyes connected with Nat’s, a relieved smile on her face at seeing you. You saw Steve next as he got up from his position on the ground and gave you an overjoyed look. You heard Bruce yell out that Thanos’s army was screwed. You stayed in place searching the area, looking for your father, but didn’t see him, as Thor, Groot and Rocket ran forward towards the battle.

Not understanding why, you turned your head in the opposite direction from the bulk of Thanos’s army until your eyes connected with a familiar vibrant blue pair. Feeling the anger slip away, you watched him slowly rise to his feet as he grabbed his gun and began sprinting towards you. The last of your resolve broke as you fully turned away from the fighting and rushed towards him until you felt his arms wrap around you tightly. You surrounded the two of you with your forcefield as his lips crashed to yours. You knew that a war raged around you but fuck it! You deserved just a few moments with the love of your life after everything that you’ve had to endure.

When you parted, Bucky looked down at you with a bright smile.

“You’re alive”, he breathed out. “You’re here”.

“I’m here”, you replied. “I’m not going anywhere”.

Bucky removed his arms from around you as you two gave one another a nod and together you both ran in sync into the chaos of the battle.

* * *

You sent an energy wave at a dozen dogs sending them a few hundred feet away before ducking as Bucky picked up Rocket and spun them around, each firing their own guns at an oncoming attack. When Bucky placed Rocket back on the ground you heard the racoon speak up to your husband.

“How much for the gun?”

“Not for sale”, Bucky replied as he shot another few rounds.

“Okay, how much for the arm?”, Rocket asked with a smirk on his face.

Bucky looked down at the animal as his eyebrows knit together in confusion before shifting his gaze that read, _‘Is he serious?’,_ to your amused expression as you watched the interaction. You simply rolled your eyes as Bucky just walked away from him to continue the fight.

You ran past Steve as he replied to Groot, “I am Steve Rogers”. You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped you as he looked at you with his familiar fond expression.

Your smile died on your lips when Steve’s fond expression turned into one of sadness.

“Steve, where’s my dad?”, you asked.

Before he could answer, you spotted five circular machines pass through the barrier and were headed straight for you. You gathered what energy you could and focused on heating the gears of one of the machines, when it exploded from the heat, it destroyed two others in the process. The other two were too close to you. Before you could react, a figure in red jumped in front of you and managed to lift the two remaining machine and maneuvered them around you, causing them to take out hundreds of aliens in the process. She turned to you, giving you a respectful nod and small smile.

“Where have these two been all this time?”, a dark-skinned woman asked with her heavy Wakandan accent.

The battle continued until you heard Wanda reply to her comms, “I’m on my way”, before she was hit in the face by the same woman who stabbed you on the Asgardian ship. Wanda fell into a ditch as the woman followed her down. You sent an energy wave towards her knocking her away from the young witch.

When she rose to her feet, a scowl on her face at seeing you in front of her.

“I thought I already killed you”

“You did. Looks like you underestimated my abilities”

She lunged at you beginning a vicious struggle when Nat jumped in to aid you. The two of you falling into old rhythms as you tag-teamed the alien. You had her beat when Wanda finished the struggle, launching her into the air where she was run over by one of her own machines.

“That was really gross”, Nat said as she wiped the blue blood from her forehead.

You let out a breathless laugh at her. “I missed you”.

* * *

You followed Wanda to Vision’s position. She knelt down to him, checking his wounded figure when he let a strangled groan.

“He’s here”

You looked around as you the air grew cold and the sky became darker. It wasn’t till you looked past where Nat, Steve, Sam, Bucky, and the others were standing that you saw it. The dark blue portal opening and the mad titan stepping out of it. 

You stood in front of Wanda who stood in front of Vision and watched as Thanos took out your team members one by one. It didn’t look like any of them were hurt, just disposed of.

“Wanda, it’s time”, Vision said breathlessly.

“No”, Wanda replied, shakily.

You kept an eye on Thanos as you listened to Wanda and Vision say their goodbyes when you turned to look at them and saw Wanda’s red energy focused on the stone embedded in his head. You understood now. We couldn’t stop Thanos, but we could ensure that he never completed his so-called ‘Destiny’. You turned back around and saw Thanos punch Steve in the face, effectively knocking him out.

You were all that stood in the way of Thanos and Vision’s stone. You created a barrier around the couple before shifting your focus onto Thanos. He looked surprised that you were standing in front of him.

“I guess I should have given you more credit”, he said, a hint of respect in his voice.

“That was your mistake”, you shot back.

Thanos powered up his gauntlet before a purple energy surge was thrown toward you. You managed to catch and absorb the energy before refocusing it back at him. He shifted his gauntlet, the purple hue shifting to one of blue. The space stone shifting the redistributed energy away from himself. The gauntlet’s color changed again, this time to one of red as a tree behind Thanos morphed into glass and was hurled in your direction. You formed a shield in front of you which caught majority of the glass shards. One fragment managed to break through your shield and impaled you through your armor, right where your heart was. You heard Bucky shout your name, as he rushed toward you. Right when your shields dropped, as you pulled the glass from your chest, you and Thanos were thrown a few feet from a powerful force behind you. When you sat up, you only saw a distraught Wanda as she was crying from her huddled form on the ground. She did it. The stone was destroyed.

You looked at Thanos who once again stood above you. A sneer overtaking your features as you looked at him.

“Looks like we just ruined your destiny”, you jibbed at him, struggling to catch your breath.

He looked down at you, a small smile forming on his lips.

“That’s the thing about destiny. It can’t be stopped”, he replied as he walked past you to where Wanda was.

Bucky finally reached you. He quickly knelt by you as he gently lifted your body into his arms, cradling you.

“Doll stay with me”, he said, voice strained as he looked over your wound.

You lifted your hand to his cheek as you gave him a small smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m healing. I told you, I’m not going anywhere”, you replied to him.

You heard Wanda yell behind you and then Thanos scream in pain. You were straining to remain conscious as your body was trying to heal itself. You faintly heard Thor scream, “NO!” and then metal clanging together, almost like a snap of someone’s fingers.

“Where did he go?”, Steve asked, breathlessly.

You kept your unfocused eyes on Bucky as his face formed a confused expression as he looked up at Steve next to you.

“Steve?”, Bucky said shakily before looking down at you again.

One moment he was holding you in his arms, the next you were laying on the ground. Bucky had completely disappeared, a pile of ashes surrounding you. You thought you had actually lost consciousness, but from the look on Steve and Nat’s faces when you looked over at them, that wasn’t the case.

That’s when you heard it. People shouting names in terrified voices.

Oh no.

He did it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, last chapter for IW! Next chapter will be the beginning of Endgame and the years in between the two movies. So, in case you were wondering where our Reader's new healing ability came from. Hela told our Reader that being on Asgard would enhance her abilities, and it did. Her abilities are evolving to the next stage and like her mother said, "she's only just scratched the surface of what she's capable of". 
> 
> I honestly think this is my favorite chapter that I've written. I loved delving into Thor's and Reader's growing relationship as sudo-siblings and writing the Guardians in this chapter was so fun! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Don't forget to let me know what you think!


	16. The Reality of the New World

**October 2017**

Sitting with your head in your hands, listening to Nat talk with Rhodey about how Carol was looking for Tony.

Carol’s arrival was unexpected to say the least. The fact that she knew Fury from back in the day shouldn’t have surprised you, given Fury seems to have a never-ending line of secrets.

They were mid argument about whether or not she would be able to find him when you had enough. You couldn’t stand to listen anymore when you rose to your feet and stormed out of the room, effectively shutting them both up as they watched you.

You shook your head and willed the tears to go away. You finally felt like your life was working out when you were reunited with Bucky only to have him ripped away from you shortly after. You needed your father to be okay. He had to come home. He had to. You wouldn’t survive if you lost them both.

You were walking aimlessly around the compound when you saw Pepper pacing outside. You made your way out the doors and walk over to her, calling out her name.

She turns at hearing your voice, her eyes red-rimmed and a mirror image of your own. She wraps her arms around you tightly, as she lets out a sob. You return her embrace just as fiercely.

You hear a loud noise as you pull away from Pepper looking up into the sky to see Carol holding up the guardian’s ship as she maneuvered it to the ground. You couldn’t help the gasp that escapes you at seeing it. Did she find him? Was he okay?

You hear everyone run from the compound, stopping where you and Pepper were standing as you watched Carol place the ship gently onto the ground, as she looks over at you giving you a small smile with an accompanying nod.

That’s all the confirmation you needed as you sprint to the ship, Steve with you.

You see a blue girl, who was half machine, help your father out of the ship. You watch as Steve takes him from her as you rush up to him, burying your face into his chest as the tears fall from your eyes. You feel him wrap his one good arm around you, letting out a relieved sigh as he places a gentle kiss to your forehead.

* * *

“It’s been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth”, your uncle explains to the group.

You stand next to your father as he sits on a wheelchair, an I.V. in his arm, with a hand on his shoulder. Everyone is silent as they listen intently as they stare at the faces shifting on the screens.

“World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working… Are trying to take a census and… It looks like he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out 50 percent of all living creatures”, Nat adds.

You watch as first Strange’s, then Wanda’s, then Sam’s, then Peter’s, then Bucky’s faces appear on the screen in front of you during Nat’s briefing. You squeeze your father’s shoulder comfortingly as you clench your jaw.

“We’ve been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans and satellites, and we got nothing”, Steve says.

“I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision. I didn’t want to believe it. I thought I was dreaming”, You father says with a shake of his head.

“Tony, I need you to focus”, Steve reprimands.

“Steve…”, you say lowly.

“And I needed you. As in past tense”, Tony shoots back, staring at Steve with a disgusted look.

You watch weakly as your father rises to his feet after slamming his fist onto the table. He yanks out his I.V. as he screams at Steve that it was too late. Your uncle walking over to try and calm him down.

“I remember saying that we needed a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Even if it impacted our precious freedoms or not. That’s what we needed! I said we’d lose, and you said that we would do that together too”, he yells as he points to Steve.

“And guess what? We lost. And you weren’t there”, he tells him with a sneer before falling to his knees before passing out.

You run to catch him before he hits the ground.

* * *

After making sure your father was okay and Bruce gave him a sedative, you all began discussing what to do. Nebula explained that Thanos had some retirement plan once he fulfilled his destiny. Rocket informing that another surge of power has taken place on some planet within the universe, where Thanos must be. You all decide to find Thanos and take back the stones. Reversing his snap and bringing everyone back.

You feel a surge of hope in your chest at your game plan. This could work. It had to.

You watch as Carol goes back and forth with Rhodey when you see Thor stand to his feet and walk in front of her, an unidentifiable look on his face.

“Thor”, you warn.

He ignores you as Carol turns her head and looks back at him, unimpressed. He calls Stormbreaker to himself, Carol not flinching at the sudden movement. She simply looks down at the axe before looking back at him, a smile on her face.

Thor looks down at her for a moment longer before looking over at you.

“I like this one”, he tells you.

* * *

After the gauntlet was removed from Thanos, his hand still inside, you turn it over to reveal that it’s empty. The stones gone.

“Where are they?”, Steve questions.

“Answer the question”, Carol demands as her arm wraps tighter around Thanos’s throat.

You stand next to Thor as you both breathe heavily, looking down at Thanos. You listen as Thanos says that the stones no longer served a purpose now that the universe was corrected. You watch as Bruce, in the hulk-buster, shoves Thanos to the ground with a scream.

You felt your stomach drop as you look over at the mad titian.

“Where are the stones?”, you ask him, quietly.

“Gone. Reduced to atoms”, he tells you.

“Bullshit! You used them two days ago!”, Nat screams at him, her voice quivering.

“I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me”, he replies.

You close your eyes at his answer as the reality of your new world sets in.

You stand still as you feel Steve grabs your hand gently, rubbing his thumb across your knuckles. You hear the mumbling of the conversation, not being able to focus on anything but your failure. You hear Thor grunt as a gush of wind is felt across your face before a loud thud.

You open your eyes to see Thanos’s head roll away from his body. You wish that seeing his lifeless form on the ground could make up for what he did, but it didn’t. If anything, it just solidified the events that lead you here.

Everyone was gone.

They weren’t coming back. 

It couldn’t be undone.

* * *

**January 2018**

You sat with your legs crisscrossed under you as your breathed in deeply before exhaling; your eyes closed as you focused on your breathing. You repeat the same process for another ten minutes before letting out a huff, your eyes snapping open.

“It’s not working”, You say aggravated.

“You need to focus on your mother”, Valkyrie replies as she looks down at you.

“Are you sure that this is even possible?”, you ask rising to your feet.

“You said you saw your mother in Valhalla, right?”, she questions you.

“Yeah in a dream. For all I know it wasn’t even real!”, you say as you kick the mat you were just sitting on in your frustration.

“It wasn’t a dream. She told you things that you couldn’t possibly know. You were in Valhalla. Only those who are tied to Freya have access to that spirit world when they’re still alive. Now I told you, that I can teach you how to project yourself there, but it will take time. Valkyries train for decades trying to master this technique”, she explains.

You scoff at her.

“So, your saying that I might never be able to do this?”, you shout.

“No, you’re the daughter of Freya. You’ll be able to master it quicker than the Valkyries because you share Freya’s blood, but it will still take time”, she tells you as she motions back to the floor.

You lick your dry lips before letting out a sigh and sitting back on the ground in your original position, closing your eyes once more as you focus only on your mother.

* * *

**September 2018**

You drop your bag to the ground as you enter the house located on the lake. You look around when you see your father enter the living room. He gives you a bright smile as he hugs you. You return his embrace before pulling away.

You notice that he looks way better—both mentally and physically-- than he did when he returned to Earth almost a year ago. He places a kiss onto your forehead before grabbing your hand and leading you upstairs.

“Come on, your little sister is dying to meet you”, he tells you.

You walk into the master bedroom and see Pepper coddling a small bundle of blankets, a smile on her face at seeing you.

You walk up to the bed and give her a kiss on her cheek before looking down at your baby sister.

You see her pink crunched up face as she dreams, her little fists clenched in front of her. Her lips moving slightly as she dreamed.

“She’s beautiful”, you tell them, not looking up from her sweet face.

“Do you want to hold her?”, Pepper asks as she adjusts her arms.

You nod your head with a smile as you take the baby from Pepper. Your left elbow supporting her head as your right ones overlaps underneath her.

You watch as her little eyes open as she looks up at you. Your smile grows as you look down at her, slightly rocking her in your arms.

“Hi, Morgan. I’m your big sister”, you tell her softly as you place your index finger in her little hand.

You see her little lips twitch up in the corners as she watches you with fatigued eyes, her hand holding onto your finger tightly.

You hear your father chuckle.

“Look at that instant sister bond”, he says as he sits next to Pepper on the bed.

You finally look up from Morgan to see your father and Pepper looking at you two with fond smiles, their hands joined, matching bands on their fingers.

After everything that your father endured-- everything he’s lost-- you were glad that he finally seemed happy. You just hoped that he was also able to find peace.

You look back down at Morgan, tears forming in your eyes, as Bucky’s face enters your mind.

You hoped that you would be able to find peace one day, too.

* * *

**June 2019**

“Are you sure about this?”, Nat asks you, shoving her magazine into her gun before cocking it.

You stand in front of the target across the room, turning back around to look at her.

“Oh yeah, it’ll be fun”, you reply as she aims her gun at you.

“Why are we doing this again?”, she questions you.

“I told you, I need to see if there’s anyway for me to heal faster, so the next time I’m injured in a fight I won’t be down for very long. Not to mention, you look like you could blow off some steam”, you tell her.

You brace yourself for the impact. Fuck this is gonna hurt, you think before Nat pulls the trigger. You feel a sharp pain in your shoulder before you give her a disappointed look.

“Come on, Nat! I need you to inflict some real damage here!”, you scold her.

She simply lets out a deep breath before shifting her aim at your chest and emptying the rest of her clip into you.

You fall to the ground as you grit your teeth. Focus Y/N. Focus! You let out some shuddering breaths as you think about what this new ability’s trigger was. Your forcefield and energy waves were connected with your stress levels, your combustion and freezing abilities were connected to your rage, the healing has to be connected to something.

You think about the heartbreak you’ve felt over the last two years—nothing. You think about the hatred you felt for Thanos—nothing. You let out a ragged breath as you feel Nat kneel by your side, her hand rubbing against your back.

You love her for trying to comfort you to distract from the excruciating pain you felt. Your next breath comes a little easier. You look down at your chest and see one bullet being pushed out of your skin.

Hmm, was it love that was the emotional connection to this ability?

You think about Morgan and Pepper.

Thor and Nat.

Steve and Rhodey.

Tony.

Bucky.

With each person you loved coming to mind, another bullet was pushed out of your body. The holes in your chest starting to disappear as you healed.

You breathed easily once more as you look up at Nat, a smile on your face.

“Don’t give me that look, I’m not shooting again”, she tells you.

You let out a laugh.

“Am I interrupting?”, Steve asks from the threshold.

You both look up from one another, as Steve gives you both a look that says, ‘I don’t even want to know’.

“I can come back to do my laundry”, he says holding up a tote bag to emphasize his point.

You simply laugh at him, before rolling your eyes and moving to your feet.

“No need to play coy. I know you two are sleeping together”, you say as you look up at him.

You watch as a deep blush sets on his cheeks before you feel Nat’s elbow hit your side.

“Maybe, I trained you too well”, Nat replies with a huff.

You couldn’t help the smile on your face as she leaves your side and walks up to Steve, placing a small kiss on his cheek.

“I guess the cat is out of the bag, honey”, she quips, smiling up at him.

He simply tilts his head as he wraps an arm around Nat’s waist, returning her smile.

You make a fake gag noise at their PDA, causing both of them to look over at you.

“Gross, my sudo-siblings are doing the ‘ _devil’s tango’_ , if that’s not my cue to leave I don’t know what is”, you say as your grab your keys from the floor.

They simply laugh at your reaction before you give each of them a hug.

“Thanks for being the only person I know with the willingness to shoot me”, you tell her as you pull away from the hug.

“You shot her?”, Steve asks bewildered.

Nat ignores him as she looks at you.

“You’re welcome”, she laughs.

You nod in reply before you head out the door.

* * *

**February 2020**

You get out of your car as you enter the small Norwegian town. You look around to see the various people working around you. You see Valkyrie make her way to you with a smile, one which you return. She gives you a welcoming hug before pulling away.

“Where is he?”, you ask her.

She lets out a small sigh before answering.

“Where he always is”, she tells you, knowingly.

You nod your head as you walk towards the cliff at the edge of the village.

Once you arrive at the all-too-familiar location, you see the blonde-headed God sitting on the grass, his back facing your direction. His elbows propped on his bent knees, a bottle of beer in his hand as he talks to the stone sticking out of the ground.

“Some King of Asgard I turned out to be, brother”, you hear him say. “Ever since father died, our home has been destroyed, and I failed at protecting the realms against a purple grape, of all foes”

You watch as he takes a large swig of his beer before continuing.

“Father was right. I’m unworthy. I’m nothing. I don’t deserve to live while so many others died. It’s my fault. If I just went for his fucking head instead of trying to make him suffer first”, he says with a shake of his head, his shoulders shaking as he begins to cry.

“I don’t know what to do. I miss you, brother”, he says weakly, downing the rest of his beer as he started to sob.

You feel your own tears at Thor’s heartbreaking confession. You swallow thickly as your feet quietly move back a few feet before you turn around and walk away from Loki’s grave and head back to ‘New Asgard’.

You knew the pain that Thor felt.

The all-consuming guilt.

Sometimes it was the only thing you could feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, next chapter will skip over the last two years to the events right before the time heist.  
> Note:  
> 1\. Based on the movies, I.W would have taken place in 2017, meaning the five year jump would make Endgame's events take place in 2022. (In Ragnarok Thor says that Sokovia was 2 years ago, meaning it was 2017 and since I.W is right after Ragarok this is how the timeline is).  
> 2\. Yes, Nat and Steve are together in this story (I like Captain Widow-- sue me). I felt like they would be able to lean on one another and deal with the fallout of the snap together.  
> 3\. Valkyrie teaching our Reader how to contact Valhalla will be extremely important to the rest of the event of this story.  
> ****For those of you who don't know-- Valkyries in Norse Mythology were female warriors who searched for honorable warrior souls and take them to Valhalla as they were deemed worthy to live for eternity in the utopia. So, given this ability, they have ties to Valhalla which is how she is teaching our reader.


	17. The Time Heist

**April 2022**

Breathe.

Focus.

Freya.

You felt your mind calm before you felt a tingle throughout your body for a moment before it stops. You let out a defeated sigh.

“Damn, I thought I had it this time”, you say, your eyes still closed.

When you don’t hear Valkyrie’s reply, you open one eye. You expected to see the cluttered living room you were sitting in, but that’s not what you saw. You saw a vibrant green of the trees and grass by the water edge. You were back in the meadow. You were in Valhalla.

You stand to your feet as you look at your surroundings. You did it.

“Y/N”, Freya calls out to you.

You turn in the direction of her voice and see her smiling at you.

“I see your abilities are continuing to grow”, she tells you fondly.

You walk up to her as she gives you a loving hug, one which you return.

When you pull away, you feel her grab your hand.

“Come. There is much that we need to discuss”, she says as she leads you to the water.

Once you both were seated, she looks at you knowingly.

“Have you every heard of the Prophecy of the Champion?”, she asks you.

You shake your head as you give her a confused look.

She simply nods her head with a small smile.

“It was foretold that when the battle for humanity was seemingly lost, that a champion would arise to ensure victory. This champion would be a powerful individual, intelligent beyond recognition, and someone with an undeniable true heart; no matter the trials they’ve been through”, she explains. 

Your eyebrows crease as she talked; your confusion growing with each word.

“I don’t understand”, you say slowly.

“You will”, she answers.

* * *

You were pulled out of your projection when your phone rang. You open your eyes to see Valkyrie watching you intently. You rose to your feet as you answered your phone.

“Nat, this isn’t exactly a good time”, you say into the phone.

“Shut up and listen”, she tells you.

You do as she orders and listen as she explains that Scott is alive and that they had a plan to undo the snap. That’s all you needed to hear as you hang up the phone and ran out the door, your mother’s words ringing in your ears.

* * *

You sit in the front seat of the car, starring at your father’s house.

“He’s not gonna help”, you say with a sigh.

“We have to at least try”, Steve replies.

You nod your head as you exit the car. Steve, Nat, and Scott following suit. You barely walk ten feet before a small figure runs and jumps up to you.

You catch your little sister in your arms before spinning her around.

“Firecracker!”, she squeals in delight.

“My God, look at you! I swear you get cuter and cuter every time I see you!”, you say as you attack her face with kisses.

She lets out a high-pitched laugh which makes you laugh in return.

“Do the magic! Do the magic!”, she begs.

“Aren’t you bored of it by now?”, you question her with a smile.

She shakes her head.

You let out a huff.

“Okay, go get the hose”, you tell her.

She lets out an excited squeal as she runs and grabs the hose and immediately sprinkles water into the air. You focus on causing the water to freeze enough, but not too much. The water turns into snow as it falls, creating the illusion that it was snowing.

Morgan immediately drops the hose and runs into the snow raising her arms into the air and twirling around as giggles escape her.

You look at your little sister fondly, until you see your father walk into your line of sight. A hard expression on his face at seeing Steve behind you.

You tell Morgan, to go inside since the adults have to discuss some boring things.

She follows your instructions, bouncing into the house without a care in the world.

You take a deep breath before acknowledging your father.

“Hi, Dad. We need talk”, you say as you step onto the porch.

* * *

You sit at the patio table, your chin resting on your fist as you watch your father argue with Scott about his ‘Time Heist’.

“Tony. We have to take a stand”, Nat chimes in with a shaky voice.

“We did stand. And yet, here we are”, he replies as he takes a seat next to you, his hand lifting to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“I know you got a lot on the line. You got a wife, two daughters. But I lost someone very important to me. A lotta people did. And now, now we have a chance to bring her back… bring everyone back and you’re telling me that you won’t even—“, Scott exclaims.

“That’s right, Scott. I won’t even. I can’t”, Tony cuts him off.

You look between your father and Scott before clearing your throat.

“Dad, please. We can do this”, you tell him

He turns in his chair to look at you.

“No, we can’t. The last time we dealt with these stones, I was almost killed. You **_were_** killed. Strange told me to ‘protect my daughter’, I assumed he meant you, but I’m starting to think he meant Morgan. We could screw everything up even further if we do this! And for what? To bring **_him_** back? Is his life really worth yours?”, he yells at you.

You flinch at his outburst. You didn’t have to guess who he was referring to.

You let out a deep breath before standing to your feet and walking to the stairs of the porch before turning around and looking back at your father.

“This isn’t just about him. Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Clint’s family… Peter. **_Their_** lives are worth mine”, you say before turning back around, shaking your head as you walk away.

* * *

While Scott, Bruce, and Steve were working on navigating the Quantum tunnel; you and Rocket were tasked with bringing in Thor. Nat with Clint. Everyone else was on their way to the compound already.

You caught a ride into New Asgard and were met with an irritated Valkyrie.

“So, are you gonna tell me why you randomly left a week ago in the middle of a training session?”, she questions, her eyebrows raised.

“It’s… complicated”, you sigh, “I need to talk with Thor”, you finish.

“He won’t see you. He’s still not over your tiff from last month”, she answers giving you a knowing look.

“Tiff?”, Rocket asks.

“Yeah, I threw out all of his alcohol. Figured he would’ve been over it by now”, you say, absentmindedly with a shrug of your shoulders.

“He in the usual place?”, you ask as you turn towards the cliff.

She simply nods her head as you fully turn around at make your way to Loki’s grave.

You finally see him as Rocket speaks up.

“That’s Thor? Why does he look like melted ice cream?”

“Rocket”, you scold.

You walk up to him as he turns around to look at you.

“You come to apologize?”, he asks you, raising a bottle of tequila to his lips.

“Don’t have anything to apologize for. I was doing you a favor”, you reply.

He chuckles before lifting his bottle in a mock toast to you.

“Clearly, it worked”, he says, lifting the bottle to his lips once more.

“Thor, we need your help. There’s a chance to fix everything”, you tell him.

He lets out another chuckle.

“You mean like the cable? Or my PlayStation? You did smash both of them”, he answers.

You roll your eyes as Rocket gives you a questioning look.

Yes, you may have gotten a little too aggressive when you tried to coax him out of his depression. But damn, he needed some tough love!

“Like Thanos”, Rocket adds.

You give him a warning look when you heard him say Thanos’s name. Too late. Thor looked at the raccoon with squinted eyes.

“Don’t. Say. That. Name”, he mumbles as his fists clench and the sky goes dark.

You look up to the sky as you hear the low rumble of thunder.

“Yeah, we don’t actually say that name here”, you tell the animal by your side.

You look from the sky back to Thor and see that his eyes have welled up with tears.

“We need your help, Thor. We can’t do this without you”, you tell him softly.

He lets out a humorless laugh.

“Why don’t you ask the Asgardian’s how much help I am. Or how bout the billions of people who were decimated because I decided not to go for the head!”, he yells at you before throwing his tequila bottle over the cliff’s edge in anger.

You slowly walk up to him, placing your hands on his shoulder.

“We can bring them back. We need you”, you say.

He looks down at you with a slight shake of his head.

“There’s beer on the ship”, Rocket chimes in.

You watch as Thor’s head shifts to his direction.

“What kind of beer?”

* * *

You walk into the compound, Thor chugging a beer and Rocket shaking his head, behind you. You see that everyone was here, including your father.

You walk up to him with a surprised expression.

“What’re doing here?”

“I figured that if my daughter was willing to risk her life, then what kind of father would I be if I didn’t try to help”, he tells you with a smile.

You can’t help but return it as you throw yourself into his arms.

“Thank you”, you whisper to him.

He replies with a soft kiss to your hair.

* * *

“Alright, we have a plan. Six stones, three teams, one shot. Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams. You know your missions. Get the stones. Get them back. One round-trip each. No mistakes, no do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. That doesn’t mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives… And we’re gonna win. Whatever it takes. Good luck”, Steve finishes.

You nod your head as you all take your positions, forming a circle around the platform.

You all decided that Tony, Scott, and Bruce would go to New York in 2012. Thor and Rocket to Asgard in 2013. Nat and Clint would go to Vormir in 2014. Rhodey and Nebula to Morag in the same year. You and Steve to Sokovia in 2015.

“See you in a minute”, Nat tells Steve with a quick kiss, a smirk on her lips as she repositioned herself next to Clint.

You watch as he gives her a loving smile before looking at your father. He nods his head at you, his own smile on his face.

You look up at the tunnel as your mask is positioned over your head before you feel yourself shrinking and see bright lights around you until you drop to the ground. Chaos surrounding you.

You and Steve quickly hide behind a car as his past self ushers people onto the hellicarrier. You wait until you were out of their site before stepping forward. You look around your surroundings as you see a quinjet shooting bullets at the ground. Clint carrying a boy a few yards away from you and Steve.

You look to his left and see Pietro watching him. You watch as he runs in front of Clint to take the bullets. You don’t hesitate when you place a shield around them just as the bullets hit.

You were pulled back down by Steve in a hurry as Pietro and Clint look around to see what happened before they both run to the hellicarrier’s boats.

“What the hell did you just do?”, he scolds you.

You were at a loss for words as you looked at him before your gaze returns to Pietro. Looking around confused, but very much alive.

“It was an impulse”, you say.

Steve huffs out in frustration before shaking his head.

“It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t affect our timeline based on what Scott and Bruce say”

You nod your head before he taps his chest and your father’s nanotech forms around him. You watch as his face is hidden behind the Ironman mask as he looks down at you.

“Let’s go get our stone”

* * *

You land on the ground and quickly hide behind a tree as Vision and Ultron are talking.

“But a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts. It’s a privilege to be among them”, Vision says.

“You’re unbearably naïve”, Ultron replies.

“Well… I was born yesterday”

You watch as Ultron lunges for Vision before being annihilated by the mind stone. Vision simply turns to your direction and calls out.

“I know you’re there. No use in hiding”

You and Steve look at one another before stepping into Vision’s sight.

“Captain. Ms. Stark. Is there a reason you were concealing yourselves?”, he questions as he looks over at you two.

You both remain quiet.

“Ah, you two aren’t the Captain Rogers and Ms. Stark that I know, are you?”, he observes.

You simply shake your head at him.

“Interesting. Well what is it that I can do for you?”, he asks.

“We need your stone”, Steve answers.

Vision nods his head in understanding.

“I can freeze your neurons before we remove the stone. It shouldn’t cause any damage to your circuits”, you explain.

He nods his head once again.

“Based on your neurological signals, I assume that this matter is of life and death?”, he questions.

“It is”, Steve responds.

He nods his head for the third time.

“Very well. If it is needed then I am here to help”, he finally says.

You watch as he walks up to you before lying on the ground. You kneel down as you place a hand on his forehead.

“Thank you, Vision”, you tell him.

He nods his head once last time before you begin freezing the neurons. Once the stone is disconnected from the circuits, you gently pull it from his head.

Once it’s in your hand, you look down at Vision and see his once red skin is now a dark grey, his eyes void of any life.

You stand to your feet with a sigh as you look over at Steve.

“Come on. We need to get back”, he says before his Quantum suit is back in place, his helmet covering his face.

You do the same before you both press the button and are shrinking once again. You see the bright lights before you are back on the platform in the Avenger’s compound.

“Did we get ‘em all?”, Bruce asks.

“Are you telling me this actually worked?”, Rhodey adds with a smile.

You can’t help the smile that’s on your face at your success. That’s when you hear his voice, his accent no longer present.

“I mean it took you guys long enough”, he huffs.

Your head snaps to the direction of his voice. Your eyes go wide at seeing him. There, clear as day, is Pietro Maximoff, very much alive and a few years older than when you last saw him.

Oh shit.

You don’t have time to react when you hear Steve’s voice next. His worry clear in his tone.

“Clint, where’s Nat?”

You shift your gaze from Pietro to Clint and see that Nat is missing. You look at his face as he looks around the room. His answer written on his face.

No.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the endgame now... three more chapters to go!  
> Pietro is alive!  
> Notes:  
> 1\. Steve and Reader went to Sokovia because I needed a way to bring Pietro back to life.  
> 2\. Pietro is there in the present because once Steve returns the stones, that alternate timeline becomes connected to our present one, thus becoming the original timeline. (Okay, even if it doesn't make total sense-- sue me! I wanted Pietro to live and Wanda deserves to have something by the end of this story)  
> 3\. Pietro's accent is no longer present because he was on the run with Wanda. So, naturally since her accent was gone I figured his should be too.


	18. A Prophecy Fulfilled

“Do we know if she had family?”, Tony asks.

He sits leaning over Steve who is crying silently.

Tony shifts his gaze to the other founding members of the Avengers. Clint leaning against one of the pillars of the dock. Thor pacing quietly. Bruce kneeling at the dock’s edge, his head in his hands. Y/N standing next to him, her back facing everyone as she stares at the water.

“Yeah. Us”, Steve replies.

Tony’s gaze returns to Steve as Thor speaks next.

“What? What are you doing?”

Tony looks up from Cap to stare at the Asgardian as he shakes his head in disbelief.

“I’m just asking him a question”

“Yeah, no, you’re acting like she’s dead. Why are we acting like she’s dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap; we can bring her back. Isn’t that right? So, stop this shit. We’re the Avengers! Get it together!”, Thor seethes.

Tony stares up at him as he talks. The pure denial shown on his face. He knew how much Nat meant to everyone. She was like a sister to Y/N, Steve’s significant other, Clint’s best friends. No one was taking this well, but they still had work to do. They needed to stay on task.

Tony opens his mouth to reply, but Clint speaks first.

“We can’t get her back”

“W-what?”, Thor asks as he turns to look at the archer.

“It can’t be undone. It can’t”, Clint answers monotone.

Thor lets out a humorless laugh.

“Look, I’m sorry, no offense, but you’re a very earthly being, okay? And we’re talking about space magic. And ‘can’t’ seems very definitive. Don’t you think?”

Clint stands upright from where he was just leaning to answer Thor.

“Yeah, look, I know that I’m way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn’t here, is she? It can’t be undone. A soul for a soul. Or that’s at least what the red, floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him, okay? Go grab your hammer and you go fly and you talk to him!”, Clint screams.

Tony watches as Clint takes a shuddering breath before continuing.

“It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone. She bet her life on it”

Tony hears Bruce let loose a grunt at the same time Y/N let out a pained scream. He shifts his eyesight to them, seeing a hulk-fist-sized hole in the wood and a bench being hurled into the water that was just in front of his daughter.

“She’s not coming back”, Bruce whispers removing his fist from the wood.

He watches his daughter intently as everyone is completely silent. She turns around with bloodshot eyes and puffy cheeks.

“We have to make it count”, she adds, her voice hoarse from her grief.

He feels more than sees Steve stand next to him before he replies.

“We will”

* * *

Everyone stares at the new gauntlet that they imbedded the stones into when the discussion begins about who will put it on to reverse Thanos’s snap.

Thor volunteers much to everyone’s objections. He tries to convince them, practically begging for him to do something good. Tony simply tells him that he’s in no condition when he hears his daughter speak up.

“I’ll do it”, she says.

Tony looks away from the God of Thunder to his daughter with wide eyes.

“It’ll kill you”, he replies.

He watches her look from the gauntlet to him, a determined look on her face.

“The stones are energy sources, right? My power is energy related. I can do it”.

Tony shakes his head.

“You tried to absorb one stone’s energy and it almost tore you apart”, Steve reasons.

“That was then. I’m stronger now, I easily absorbed the power’s stones energy back in Wakanda”, she explains.

“Yeah, but that was one stone. You’ll have all six coursing through you. It’ll be too much, the energy will overwhelm you”, Tony counters.

He watches as she shakes her head.

“I’ll heal. This is what she was talking about”, she continues.

“Who?”, Clint questions.

“Freya. I’ve been training to contact Valhalla. She told me about a prophecy. About a champion rising when the fate of humanity was almost lost”, she explains.

“How do you know it was about you?”, Tony asks.

“’Protect your daughter’, that’s what Strange told you. He must have been talking about this. I must have been supposed to be safe so I could do **_this_** ”, she exclaims as she points to the gauntlet.

Everyone remains silent as they think about her words. Tony sees everyone nod their head slightly. He can’t take it as he stands in front of her.

“No. No, I can’t let you take this risk”

She simply looks up at him, tears in her eyes.

“There’s no other option”, she tells him.

He continues to shake his head when he hears Bruce speak up.

“Yes, there is. It’s gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. He almost died. Even though they’re energy sources, the radiation’s mostly gamma. It’s like I was made for this. Y/N you’ll have to shield everyone if something goes wrong”, Bruce says.

Everyone reluctantly agrees as they prepare for the reverse snap. Tony activates ‘Barn Door’ as Y/N forms a shield around everyone in the room. They watch as Bruce pulls on the glove, screaming in agony before snapping his fingers.

He falls to the ground as Y/N rips the gauntlet off of him, Pietro kicking it away from Bruce. The doors open when Tony hears someone’s phone vibrating. They continue to look over Bruce when Scott’s voice is heard.

“Guys, I think it worked”.

Tony looks over at his daughter before a loud boom is heard and he’s flung away from her and everyone else.

* * *

They slowly begin walking to Thanos’s sitting form. Tony and Y/N go left as Steve and Thor go right, surrounding him as he talks about how he would destroy all of life instead of just half.

“A grateful universe”, Thanos finishes.

“Born out of blood”, Steve replies.

“They’ll never know it because you won’t be here to tell them”

All four of them lunge for him at the same time. A lighting bolt here. Shield there. Energy wave. Repulser. Repeat.

They team up, Thor powering up Tony’s suit. Y/N shielding Steve from Thanos’s sword. Steve lifting Y/N with his shield as she kick’s Thanos’s face, sending an energy wave to his back as she passes over him, sending him into Thor’s hammer.

The battle continues until Thanos overpowers them one by one. Y/N is hurled into a rock by Thanos, just as he lifts Tony up into the air and in the way of Thor’s hammer.

Tony is thrown a few feet before hitting the ground hard. All he hears is Friday’s concerned voice before everything goes black.

* * *

When he comes to, Tony looks to see Steve, bloodied and beaten, standing to his feet. He tightens his shield, half broken, onto his arm. Tony rises to his feet to intervene but is stopped at the cracked transmission of a voice through the comms.

“ _Cap, it’s Sam. On your left”_

Just as his voice rings through Tony’s comms, he sees a yellow portal being opened to the right of Steve. He holds his breath as he watches three figures slowly walk through.

He watches as T’Challa removes his mask giving Steve a nod, Sam flying through the portal. Then a dozen other portals are opened. Hundreds of people coming through. People who he hasn’t seen in five years. People who vanished in the snap.

They did it.

They reversed the snap.

As everyone continues to come through the portals, Scott—extremely large—busts through the ground. Rhodey, Bruce, and Rocket in his hand as he places them on the ground.

Tony walks over to their army as he hears the unified shouts of everyone preparing themselves. He stands next to his daughter as she gives him a beaming smile.

“Avengers! Assemble!”, Steve yells as he calls Mjölnir to him.

‘Well that’s new’, Tony thinks as everyone rushes headfirst into the battle.

* * *

Chaos. Complete and utter chaos surrounds Tony. He sends multiple dogs to the ground with his repulsers when he’s smacked to the ground from behind him.

Cheap shot, asshole.

He lifts his hands to fire at the alien but is saved when his raised arm is held back before he falls to the ground and being smushed under Scott’s foot.

He looks at the savior to see a familiar mask in front of him accompanied by the rambling voice of the boy he lost so long ago.

“And then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time—“, Peter says as he does the hand motions that Strange does.

Tony just looks at him fondly as he rambles before wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace. As he hugs him, he looks over Peter’s shoulder.

He watches as his daughter’s face is cradled between two hands, one metal. She has her hands on the crooks of Bucky’s arms where they are raised to her face. They are a few yards away from them, so Tony doesn’t hear what was said, only the reaction.

He watches as his Firecracker lets out a tearful laugh, her eyes watering as she looks deeply into his eyes.

He can see it clearly from his position. How happy she is. How in love.

Tony has never seen his daughter look so complete, so whole, then she did in that moment… With Bucky.

* * *

Tony lands on the ground next to Strange.

“Hey, you said we win one out of fourteen million, yeah? Tell me this is it”

Strange just gives him a look he can’t discern.

“If I tell you what happens… It won’t happen”

Tony lets out a sigh.

“You better be right”

* * *

Tony watches as Thanos’s ship begins firing at everyone on the ground. He sees the wizards form barriers that only are about ten feet in diameter, Y/N forming a shield as far as she could reach, covering as many people as she could.

He watches as the guns change direction and begin firing at the sky before Carol destroys the ship, sending it into the water below.

He has a smirk on his face as he flies to where his daughter was. He sees the toll of the impact that the guns had on her. She’s never had to create a shield that big before. She was weak from her efforts.

He looks down at her, but she gives him a reassuring smile. They both turn their heads at the sound of something dropping by them. It was the gauntlet. Thanos enters Tony’s line of sight going for the glove.

Tony doesn’t hesitate when he tackles Thanos. Thanos simply throws him off before reaching for the gauntlet once more.

This time stopped by Thor, Steve, and Carol. He disposes of them one by one until he finally reaches the gauntlet.

Tony struggles to his feet as Thanos places the gauntlet on his hand. That’s when he sees her.

Y/N runs to Thanos, holding the gauntlet to stop his from snapping his fingers.

Thanos tries to use his other hand, just for her to place a shield around herself. He watches as they struggle, her teeth are barred in her efforts to keep his hand from closing. She looks weak, tired.

The next few seconds seemingly went by in slow motion.

Tony looks to Strange as he holds up a single finger.

He shifts his gaze back to his daughter.

They would win.

But he knew it would cost him his firecracker.

‘ _Protect your daughter’_

Tony doesn’t hesitate when he rushes at them. He places his hands on top of the gauntlet, grabbing the stones before Thanos kicks both him and his daughter off of him.

Tony is thrown a few feet, the stones in his hand, unbeknownst the Thanos.

He looks up at the mad titan as he says, “I am inevitable”, before snapping his fingers.

Tony gives his confused face a victorious smirk as the stones are moved into place by his nanotech.

He feels the energy overpowering his body as he holds his hand up, showing Thanos that he had the stones.

“And. I. Am. Ironman”, he says breathlessly before snapping his own fingers.

* * *

Tony was struggling to breathe as he sat with his back against a tree stump. Rhodey landing in front of him, placing a hand against his head. Peter running up to him before kneeling down.

“Hey, Mr. Stark. It’s Peter. Hey. We won, Mr. Stark. We won! You did it, sir, you did it. I’m sorry, Tony”, He says through his tears. 

He watches as Peter is gently moved so that Pepper was in front of him, her tears streaming down her face as she tries to smile at him.

“Friday?”, she asks.

_“Life functions critical”_

“Tony? Look at me. We’re gonna be okay. You can rest now”, she tells him.

He looks at her weakly before his eyes spot his daughter. Her tears falling onto her cheeks as she looks down at him, slowly moving Pepper out of the way so she was kneeling in front of him.

“Dad…”, she chokingly says before placing her hand onto his arc reactor. Her tears falling harder as she looks at him.

He gives her a small smile.

“It’s okay”, he breathes out, placing his hand over hers on his chest.

“Be happy, Firecracker”, he tells her weakly before everything goes dark.

The last thing he ever wanted to see in his life was his daughter.

And he did.

He protected his daughter.


	19. Full Potential

Chaos. Complete and utter chaos surrounded you. You blew up one of the ships above you before throwing an energy wave at another onset of aliens. You were so focused on everything that you didn’t even notice him ten feet from you.

You felt him more than saw him as you turned and met a set of steel-blue eyes.

Nothing else matters, but those eyes staring back at you.

You rush to him as his hands cup your face, stroking your cheeks gently as your vision become blurry with tears. You place your hands on the crooks of his arms.

“You’re here”, you breath out.

He gives you a loving smile.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere”, he replies, echoing your own words from so long ago.

You let out a tearful laugh at his reply.

He continues to brush your cheeks with his thumb as you just stare at one another.

* * *

You watch as Wanda drops down in front of Thanos.

“You took everything from me”, she seethes with glowing red eyes.

You step behind Thanos as he turns around to avoid this confrontation, meeting your eyes. You let out a ‘tsk tsk’ at his movements.

You feel a woosh of air before you spot Pietro next to you.

You see Wanda’s gaze shift to him letting out a soft gasp before returning to look at Thanos.

“Y’know you really pissed them off. I think that I should just leave you alone with the Maximoff twins”, you say with a wink before backing away leaving Thanos between Pietro and Wanda.

You run further into the battle. Thinking about how Pietro was there.

When you saw him on the platform, it was like you had two sets of memories. One without Pietro and one where he was there. You remember having a rush of memories all at once when you connected eyes. Once all this was over, you were really going to have to ask your dad what all that was about.

* * *

You watch as everyone around you ducked when Thanos’s ship started firing. You clenched your teeth as you formed a shield in the air covering as far as your abilities would let you. You struggled in your efforts, feeling a bead of sweat run down your neck.

You felt every impact from the ship before it suddenly stopped. You dropped your forcefield as you looked up at the ship, now firing at the sky.

Carol came into your line of sight before she destroyed the ship, causing it to plummet to the water below. You let out a grunt as you fell to the ground, trying to regain your energy from exerting yourself.

You hear someone land next to you when you see your father with worry-filled eyes. You give him a reassuring smile when you hear a loud thud. You both look over to see the gauntlet next to you, Thanos rushing to get it. You watch as your father tackles him away from the metal before he is thrown a few feet.

Steve, Thor, and Carol fight off Thanos for as long as they could before he overpowers them all. You watch as Thanos grabs the gauntlet and places it on his hand.

You muster all the energy you can as you run up to him, grabbing the gauntlet to ensure he doesn’t snap his fingers.

You lost to him once.

You would die before you let him do it again.

You watch as Thanos lifts his other hand to punch you, but you form a shield to stop him. You couldn’t hold his hand and your shield in your weakened state, so you drop the forcefield.

You continue to struggle as he tries to overpower you. That’s when you feel a presence next to you. You look over and see your father placing his hand over the gauntlet.

Your momentary distraction was all Thanos needed to free himself from you two. He kicks both of you away before fixing the glove and raising his hand.

“I am inevitable”, he says before snapping his fingers.

You watch as nothing happens. You look at his confused face before turning to your father. You see a victorious smirk on his face as he raises his own hand. You look on as the stones are put into place by your father’s nanotech.

A pained expression on his face when he speaks up breathlessly.

“And. I. Am. Ironman”, he says before snapping his own fingers.

You gasp as you see a flash of light before Thanos’s army begins to disappear. You let out a relieved breath before looking back at your father.

You watch as he weakly leans against a tree stump.

You walk to where he is, tears falling onto your cheeks.

The right side of his face and neck were burnt severely. His armor destroyed. You felt like you couldn’t breathe watching as your father was dying.

“Hey, Mr. Stark. It’s Peter. Hey. We won, Mr. Stark. We won! You did it, sir, you did it. I’m sorry, Tony”, Peter says through his tears. 

You stand back as Peter is gently moved so that Pepper was in front of him, her tears streaming down her face as she tries to smile at him.

“Friday?”, she asks.

You couldn’t hear what the A.I said, but you knew your father wouldn’t survive this.

“Tony? Look at me. We’re gonna be okay. You can rest now”, she tells him.

You continue to look at him when your eyes meet his own. You slowly walk up to him as you gently move Pepper so you could kneel in front of him

“Dad…”, you choke out as you place your hand onto his arc reactor. You feel your tears falling harder as you look at him.

You didn’t know what to say. You wanted to tell him that he was an amazing dad and how much you loved him. You wanted to say a million things, but your voice wouldn’t let you.

You look down at him as he gives you a small smile.

“It’s okay”, he breathes out, placing his hand over your that rested on his chest.

You shake your head gently as you watch him, crying harder.

It wasn’t okay.

None of this was okay.

How were you supposed to go on with your life without him?

“Be happy, Firecracker”, he tells you weakly.

You knew what he was saying. He was giving you permission to be happy. Permission to be with Bucky.

You watch as his head tilts to one side.

His eyes opened, but unresponsive. His hand sliding from yours. You look down at his arc reactor just to see the light fade out.

You shake your head as you begin to sob.

“No. No, Dad. Please don’t leave me”

You place your hands on both of his cheeks as you lean forward, placing your head against his shoulder. You cried in that position for what seemed like hours.

You think about the memories you had with your father, all the love you felt for him.

He couldn’t be gone.

You feel someone tap your shoulder gently before you feel a tingle pulsing through your hand. Your eyebrows crease in confusion as you pull back and see your hand, still resting on your father’s cheek, glowing a bright white.

What the hell?

You look at your hand as you see your father’s burns starting to heal.

You think back to what your mother once told you.

“I’m the complete opposite of my sister…”, you mumble to yourself.

‘ _Energy and Matter? Such a scientific and mortal way of thinking’_

_‘You’ve just scratched the surface of what you are capable of’_

_‘It’ll all make sense soon’_

Your healing ability.

Energy and Matter in science make up all living things.

Hela was Death.

“Life”, you breathe out. “I’m Life”.

You blink back your tears as you move your hand from your father’s face to his chest, over his heart.

You think about all the love you have for him as you squeeze your eyes shut in concentration.

Your eyes snap open when you hear a sharp intake of breath.

You look at your father as he looks around him confused; his burns gone.

“Firecracker?”

“Dad? Dad!”, you exclaim as you throw yourself into his arms.

He catches you with ease as his hand goes to the back of your head.

“What happened?”, he asks.

“You protected your daughter”, Strange speaks up from behind you.

You both pull away to look in his direction. You see everyone—Peter, Rhodey, Bucky, Steve, Thor, Pepper—staring at you both with relieved smiles, tears in their eyes.

“You were meant to wield the stones. You’re the champion, Tony. You needed to protect your daughter, so that she could bring you back”, Strange explains with a smile.

* * *

You stand with your hand in Bucky’s as you watch Steve stand on the platform, preparing to return the stones. Sam, Wanda, and Pietro standing to your left. Tony, Clint, and Thor to your right. Bruce was manning the control panel.

“How long is this supposed to take?”, Sam asks.

“For us? Five seconds. For him? As long as it takes”, Bruce answers as the machine begins to power on.

You watch as Steve disappears, and Bruce begins the count down for his return. You watch patiently as he reappears, but he’s not alone.

“Nat?”, Clint asks as he runs up to the platform, crushing her in a hug.

You and Tony give one another a look.

“A soul for a soul”, you whisper, connecting the dots.

You feel Bucky look down at you in confusion.

You look up at Steve as he turns to look at you.

“Returning the soul stone gave Nat back? A soul for a soul?”, you question him.

He nods his head with a bright smile.

You let out an overjoyed laugh before running up to the platform and squeezing Nat to you.

“Seems I missed all the fun”, she quips with a smirk.

You laugh again.

“If you do anything like that again, I will bring you back just to kill you”, you tell her with a smile.

* * *

You were lying on the loveseat with Bucky’s arms around you. His metal hand rubbing your arm gently. Your father, Pepper, and Morgan were cuddled on the couch. Nat was sitting on Steve’s lap in the recliner. Thor, Bruce, Clint, Wanda, and Pietro were standing around talking. You look around the room with a smile at seeing everyone—your family—together and happy.

You snuggle closer to Bucky when you let out a contented sigh.

You feel him sit up as you look at him questioningly. He gives you a soft smile before standing to his feet and walking over to the couch.

You watch as he stands in front of Tony tilting his head to talk with him privately.

Everyone watches the interaction with worry. They are off to one corner of the room whispering back and forth until you see matching smiles on their faces before they shake hands and even hug one another lightly.

You watch as Bucky makes his way back to you. You spot your father sitting back on the couch watching you and Bucky intently, a smile on his face.

You furrow your brows as Bucky stands in front of you, extending his arms out for you to take. You place your hands in his with curiosity as he guides you to the center of the room.

You look around and see everyone’s eyes on you before you shift your gaze back to Bucky.

He takes a deep breath before he starts to speak.

“I wanted to do this right. I want to be with you forever. I want to build a life with you. You made me realize that I could still be happy, and I want to make sure that you are too”, he tells you.

You watch with wide eyes as he kneels on one knee in front of you, pulling off the metal chain around his neck and sliding your wedding ring off of it before holding it in front of you, gently holding your left hand.

“So, with your father’s blessing. Marry me? In front of all of your friends, your family. Will you marry me? Again?”, he asks you.

You feel your eyes water as you give him your answer, a bright smile on your face.

“Yes”

He places your wedding ring on your finger before rising to his feet giving you a passionate kiss.

You hear all the whoops and hollers accompanied by clapping.

You pull away from the kiss to look at your father, a loving smile on his face as he watches you.

‘I love you’, he mouths.

‘I love you’, you mouth back. 


	20. Epilogue

**June 2022**

You look at yourself in the mirror, fidgeting with your hair that was half pulled up. Your curls cascading down your back as a few hairs framed your face. The veil sat against your hair until it met the floor.

Your hands moved to the soft lace of your dress. Nothing too over the top. Simple and elegant. Your dress was a soft silk covered with lace, a V-neckline that rose to a haltered tie behind your neck.

“Stop fidgeting, Firecracker. You look beautiful”, your father’s voice says.

You turn around and see him in his tux as he leans against the doorframe, a smile on his face.

You smile back at him as you walk up to stand in front of him.

“You would think that someone who has seen the things I’ve seen wouldn’t get nervous at a wedding”, you say with a small laugh.

Tony chuckles as he moves a stray hair back into place.

“Perfectly normal”, he tells you offering his arm for you to take.

You do as he leads you out of the room.

“Morgan has been practicing her flower girl routine for the last month”, he whispers to you.

You let out another laugh as you exit your father’s lake house, making your way to the aisle.

You hear the music begin, signaling your entrance, as everyone stands and turns to face you.

You hold onto your father’s arm a little tighter when you see him.

There at the alter is Bucky, his hair freshly cut and styled like how he used to wear it in the ‘40s, a bright smile on his face. When you connect eyes, you see him wipe his cheek gently.

You give him a vibrant smile as you see Steve and Sam next to him; Nat and Wanda on the opposite side leaving a place for you to stand.

You continue walking as you see everyone important in your life.

T’Challa and Shuri with the Wakandians.

Stephen and Wong.

Carol and Fury.

The Guardians.

Pietro, Clint, and his family.

Valkyrie, Thor, and Bruce standing with the other Asgardians.

Pepper, Rhodey, Peter and Morgan.

You think about how much you’ve gone through since your father uttered those six words that changed your life forever. 

The trials and tribulations.

The battles.

The decisions.

The heartbreak.

You make it to the alter and your father passes your arm to Bucky.

You watch as your father maneuvers around till he is standing in between you and him, ready to officiate your marriage in front of everyone you love.

You give him a loving smile before giving Bucky one as well.

You listen as your father begins his speech, starting the ceremony.

* * *

**July 2024**

You were woken up from your restful sleep when the door to your room was opened. You look up from your pillow as your family—Rhodey, Steve, Nat, Sam, Clint, Bruce, Thor, Wanda, Pietro, Peter, Pepper, Morgan, and your father—walk into your hospital room.

You look around to see Bucky gently rocking your daughter in his arms as he refuses to look anywhere but at her.

You smile fondly at him when your father places a gentle kiss to your forehead.

Everyone is so excited to see the newest member of the Avengers and they all take turns holding her.

Bucky comes to sit next to you as you lean your head against his shoulder, as Steve and Nat look down at their goddaughter, each holding one of her little hands in theirs. Matching bands on their fingers.

You rub Bucky’s metal hand and feel the brand you gave him on your wedding day on his ring finger. The engraved metal in the place of a ring.

You watch as everyone is smiling and laughing at the joyous event of the birth of your daughter.

Your Freya.

It’s been quite the life you’ve had since you were eighteen. You always wanted to know where you came from and more importantly who you were supposed to be.

You wouldn’t change anything that you’ve been through though.

Because throughout all of the decisions and heartbreak; you found your mother, your family, the love of your life, and your daughter.

But most importantly, you found yourself.

**_Fin._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who supported this story! I really enjoyed working on it and I hope you all enjoyed reading it! This was my first story I ever wrote and it helped me out of a dark time in my life. Decisions and Heartbreak are a part of life, but ultimately if you can truly find yourself then everything will work itself out... Trust me.
> 
> Thank you, guys! You all are so amazing!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave any comments on what you guys think. I always love feedback! Also give this story some Kuddos if you guys like it!


End file.
